Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways have signed a MoU, aimed at an expanded interline partnership that draws upon the commitment of both airlines to support the UAE government’s objective in promoting tourism to the UAE and enhance the UAE’s position as a preferred global destination.

In a strategic plan to further expand their interline agreement, Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide travellers additional itinerary options when visiting the UAE. According to a statement, this  cooperation between the two UAE carriers aims to capitalise on opportunities to increase tourism in the UAE from important source markets by allowing travellers to experience many destinations on a single itinerary.

“We are pleased to be working again with Etihad Airways – this time to allow each carrier to offer a new range of seamless travel options in and out of the UAE. Emirates and Etihad are leveraging on our strengths to expand our respective customer offerings and boost UAE tourism. We believe this new agreement provides a strong foundation to develop further opportunities between both airlines and is an example of our commitment to the UAE’s vision for continued economic diversification,” says Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.

The statement says that this expanded interline partnership draws upon the commitment of both airlines to support the UAE government’s objective to promote tourism to the UAE and enhance the UAE’s position as a preferred global destination. Tourism is one of the key pillars of the UAE Economy and is expected to contribute to 5.4 pc of the nation’s total GDP, or USD 31.6 billion, supporting over 1 million jobs by 2027.

According to the agreement, customers of each airline will be able to book a single ticket for travel this summer that will allow them to arrive in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi and return without interruption at the other airport. The new partnership offers tourists who want to explore the UAE the convenience of one-stop ticketing for their entire trip as well as quick baggage check-in.

The statement adds that the MoU was signed at Arabian Travel Market by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, and Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Airways, in the presence of Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, and Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad CEO, along with other senior representatives.

It adds that each carrier will concentrate on building incoming interline traffic from specific points in Europe and China in the early stages of the expanded interline in order to draw tourists to the UAE. The ‘open jaw’ configuration will enable travellers to see as much of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or any other emirate as possible while saving time by avoiding the need to fly home via their arrival airport. Customers flying into the UAE also have the alternative of “multi-city flights,” which allow them to simply depart from one city on the networks of both carriers before returning to a different location served by either Emirates or Etihad.

“We’re delighted to partner with Emirates in our shared mission to support inbound tourism to the UAE and facilitate travel to our vibrant cities. With two world-class airlines supporting UAE tourism, our interline agreement will make it more convenient for our guests to experience the best of Abu Dhabi and Dubai on one single ticket while promising to deliver an exceptional flying experience whether they fly with Etihad Airways or Emirates. It’s a win-win proposition for travellers to the UAE,” says Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways.