Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways says it has signed a bilateral codeshare agreement Serbian flag carrier Air Serbia. The agreement is aimed at enhancing connectivity for customers of both airlines, says the UAE carrier in a press statement.

The airline adds that under this partnership, Etihad’s customers gain access to 12 southeast European destinations through Air Serbia’s Belgrade hub, with nine of them being new to Etihad’s network.

Jurriaan Stelder

“This partnership further expands our codeshare network and provides our guests with convenient access to 12 of Air Serbia’s leisure and business destinations, including Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest, Thessaloniki, Tirana, Skopje and Sofia,” says Jurriaan Stelder, VP Alliances and Industry Affairs at Etihad.

The statement adds that Air Serbia’s network becomes more easily accessible to Etihad’s customers, who can connect to it from Etihad’s gateways in Athens, Milan, Rome, and Vienna. It says that the codeshare came into operation on January 30 for flights commencing February 3.

The airline says that Etihad Guest is the loyalty programme for both airlines and allows members to either earn or redeem Etihad Guest miles across the Etihad Airways and Air Serbia networks.

Boško Rupić

“By joining forces with Etihad we expand the reach of our services, offering our passengers a wider array of destinations and connectivity options. This translates into more choices, flexibility, and convenience for those who choose Air Serbia for their journeys. Passengers will now enjoy the ease of booking connecting flights and checking in once for their entire journey,” says Boško Rupić, Air Serbia general manager of Commercial and Strategy.

Meanwhile, Etihad Airlines is expanding its network in other parts of the world also. It is increasing flights to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Amman in Jordan, Beirut in Lebanon, as well as Colombo in Sri Lanka, and Kolkata and Bengaluru in India over the next few months.

By summer, the airline says that it would be offering almost 27 pc more weekly departures compared to the same time last year.