Etihad Airways has signed a new codeshare agreement with Garuda Indonesia, which comes into effect October 28.
It marks the latest in a flurry of codeshare deals for the Abu Dhabi airline, taking its quota up to 42, and codeshare tickets have already gone on sale.
In the first phase, Etihad will place its EY code on Garuda's services between Jakarta and Denpasar (Bali), and Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
Subject to regulatory approval, Garuda will place its GA code on Etihad flights from Jakarta to up to 31 destinations.
The airlines plan to expand the scope of the agreement to include more destinations in each other’s networks. Etihad is keen to fly to more points in Indonesia and offer passenger benefits such as FFP reciprocity and airport lounge access.
James Hogan, Etihad’s CEO, said its latest codeshare was another key plank in the airline’s network development, particularly in south-east Asia.
He said the tie-up with the world’s fourth most populous nation, and largest Muslim country, will complement strong demand for travel between Indonesia and the Middle East and Europe, as well as stimulate trade between Indonesia and trading partners in the western hemisphere.
Emirsyah Satar, CEO of Garuda Indonesia, added that the partnership will further strengthen the global network of both airlines.
He said it will enable Garuda Indonesia to extend its service to Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa, and Etihad will provide more convenient connections for their passengers in Indonesia, Australia and Japan.
Last week Etihad signed a codeshare agreement with Air France-KLM, which also starts on October 28. That deal bolsters the Abu Dhabi carrier's profile in Europe and gives the European carriers greater access to Asian and Australasian markets.
etihad.com
garudaindonesia.co.uk