Etihad Airways is looking for codeshare agreements and forming strategic partnership with Chinese airlines, the carrier's CEO said yesterday.
The United Arab Emirates-based airline yesterday announced it will launch two direct routes to China, the world's second largest aviation market.
Etihad Airways plans to launch daily service between Shanghai and Abu Dhabi starting on March 1, 2012. Shanghai will be its 70th destination.
"Shanghai, the most populous city on the Chinese mainland, is a strategically important addition to Etihad's China network," James Hogan, chief executive officer of Etihad Airways, told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
The carrier will also launch direct flights to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, four times a week starting on December 15. It will also increase flight frequencies on its Beijing routes to daily service from this month.
"We are in talks with some Chinese airlines about codeshare flights as cooperation is a key for our expansion," Hogan said.
A codesharing agreement is when two airlines share the same flight.
The official also said the carrier is looking for chances to form strategic partnerships with Chinese airlines in the future.
The carrier already has codeshare agreements with 32 airlines and plans to fly to more than 100 destinations by 2020.
"We look forward to reaching more destinations in China, especially Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Chongqing," Hogan said.
Rising travel demand and stronger purchasing power in China have enticed foreign airlines to open Chinese routes.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China said yesterday that Delta Air Lines opened a direct flight between Detroit and Beijing on July 2, Vietnam Airlines launched service between Danang and Guangzhou on July 4 and Air Mauritius opened a Mauritius-Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai route on July 4.
