At the event in Berlin, Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, airberlin’s Chief Executive Officer, and James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of airberlin, gave details of how air travellers will continue to benefit from the special partnership and the progress made in the first two years.
Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, said: “Partnerships are vital in today’s aviation industry. Our partnership provides significant benefits to Etihad Airways, airberlin, as well as to our guests. Not only do we provide an expanded offering of destinations and services, we also have developed synergies through the entire value chain.
Following the implementation of joint codesharing across the networks both airlines will strengthen the commercial partnership in 2014. That will include the expansion of joint sales operations, building on the current services provided by 17 joint sales offices located around the world, and representation in more than 50 international markets.
airberlin’s expertise in the tourism sector, an important pillar of its business, will also continue to be central to marketing the combined network.
The developments in the commercial partnership are set to further increase the number of passengers who fly on the airberlin and Etihad Airways network, which currently serves 228 destinations in 84 countries.
James Hogan said: “Since the launch of the partnership two years ago, commercial ties between Etihad Airways and airberlin have deepened significantly. This has increased the destinations and flight options for guests and enabled both airlines to carry nearly 900,000 guests across the two networks.
A new joint “Moving Forward” media campaign will be launched in January and run until March 2014 and will see the new partnership logo of the two airlines featured in advertising and marketing across Germany.
airberlin and Etihad Airways operate 42 weekly flights between destinations in Germany and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This will increase to 49 weekly flights in February 2014 when a second daily Munich flight commences.
In 2013, 563,000 common codeshare passengers flew across the two networks, a 74 per cent increase on the previous year. Currently, 66 airberlin routes carry Etihad Airways’ EY code and 33 Etihad Airways’ routes carry airberlin’s AB flight code.
Wolfgang Prock-Schauer announced new routes for this year: “We shall continue to expand the joint route network with Etihad Airways and look forward to offering airberlin guests new codeshare destinations in India, Australia and South Korea.”
