Claire Wilson
AIRLINKS between Spain and the Middle East have been boosted thanks to a new codeshare agreement between Etihad Airways and Spanish airline Air Europa.
Air Europa plans to start a three times a week direct service between Madrid and Abu Dhabi in late 2014.
The two airlines will work together in the run up to the route launch, with Etihad Airways initially placing its code on Air Europa-operated flights to Madrid from Amsterdam, Brussels and Milan Malpensa and beyond Madrid to Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, the statement added.
In return, Air Europa will place its UX flight code on Etihad Airways flights from Amsterdam, Brussels and Milan Malpensa to Abu Dhabi.
During the summer, both airlines said they plan to expand the number of codeshare destinations to include new cities in Spain and South America via Madrid, and more cities beyond Abu Dhabi across the Gulf region, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Etihad Airways’ president and CEO, James Hogan, said: “The fact that Air Europa has chosen Abu Dhabi for the next wave of its international expansion, speaks volumes of what the emirate and our global hub have to offer.
“We have been keen to offer our customers direct access to the Spanish capital for a number of years, and doing this now in partnership with Air Europa makes perfect business sense. It is the right thing to do.
