Etihad Airways and Garuda expand codeshare pact to nearly double routes offered

Agreement now covers 42 destinations across the Indonesian archipelago, South-East Asia, Middle East, US and Europe

Etihad Airways has expanded a codeshare agreement with Jakarta-based airline Garuda Indonesia. Photo: Etihad

Etihad Airways and Garuda Indonesia have expanded a codeshare agreement to nearly double the number of destinations offered beyond their Abu Dhabi and Jakarta hubs as they seek to extend the reach of their joint networks.

The pact now covers 42 destinations across the Indonesian archipelago, South-East Asia, the Middle East, US and Europe, the Abu Dhabi Media Government Office said in a statement on Monday.

“This reflects Etihad’s continued drive for commercial sustainability and is part of our broader partnership strategy, which enables Etihad guests to access nearly 400 cities worldwide, in addition to Etihad’s operating network," Antonoaldo Neves, group chief executive of Etihad Airways, said.

The two airlines first signed the codeshare agreement in 2012. Codeshare deals allow airlines to offer more destinations to their passengers. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways has codeshare agreements with nearly 40 airlines worldwide, according to its website.

In November, Etihad Airways also expanded its codeshare partnership with budget airline JetBlue as it continues to boost its services in the US and North America.

Etihad Airways and Garuda Indonesia will explore more areas of collaboration "in the light of current market opportunities and company requirements", including cargo, maintenance, repair and overhaul, as well as pilot and crew training services, according to the statement.

The partners signed an initial agreement covering these areas of discussion on the sidelines of the B20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, on November 12.

"With both airlines’ extensive networks worldwide and nationally, we believe that this extended partnership will not only give added value to Garuda Indonesia’s passengers to access popular destinations across the globe, especially to the United States, Turkey and Abu Dhabi, but will also offer a range of domestic destinations, especially in the area of east Indonesia for Etihad’s passengers," Irfan Setiaputra, president and chief executive of Garuda Indonesia, said.

Indonesia is an archipelago spanning more than 17,000 islands, making air travel necessary for the transport of people and goods, and providing "significant opportunities" for airlines to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

Etihad Airlines and Garuda Indonesia will explore the potential to deepen their existing 10-year partnership not only in network expansion but also in other "promising" areas of business, Mr Setiaputra said.