PARIS- The Air France-KLM Group and Etihad Airways (EY), the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of broadening their collaborative efforts in passenger operations, loyalty programs, talent development, and maintenance.
The signing ceremony occurred at the Air France (AF) KLM (KL) Group headquarters in Paris, France. Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer of Air France-KLM, and Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer of Etihad Airways, attended it.
Etihad and Air France-KLM Partnership
As part of this partnership, and pending necessary regulatory approvals, Air France-KLM and Etihad are considering the expansion of their existing codeshare and interline agreements that were initiated in 2012.
As a preliminary step, more than 40 new routes spanning destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Australia are now available for booking, with travel commencing as early as the winter season of 2023.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) also includes provisions for Flying Blue and Etihad Guest frequent flyer program members to earn and redeem miles with Air France, KLM, and Etihad.
Additionally, the airlines will explore various initiatives such as terminal co-location, reciprocal lounge access, and ground handling.
Etihad Airways presently offers daily flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH).
Furthermore, Air France is scheduled to commence daily flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi International Airport starting on October 29, 2023.
Executive Insights
Angus Clarke, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Air France-KLM, expressed his enthusiasm for the extended partnership with Etihad Airways, highlighting the 11-year collaboration that is now expanding further.
He emphasized their exploration of opportunities in maintenance and loyalty, as well as the enhancement of their route network to benefit customers worldwide.
Clarke also noted the appeal of Abu Dhabi as a destination and hub, thanks to Etihad’s extensive footprint across South and Southeast Asia and Australia, which adds significant value to the partnership.
He concluded by underlining their shared commitment to delivering seamless, premium, and customer-centric travel experiences to their global customer base.
Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer at Etihad, expressed their excitement about expanding collaboration with Air France-KLM, emphasizing their joint vision of creating exceptional passenger journeys.
He highlighted that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) builds upon their existing partnership by exploring deeper network enhancements to improve connectivity between Abu Dhabi and Paris, leveraging the extensive AF-KL network to Europe and beyond.
De reaffirmed Etihad’s intention to contribute to the cultural and economic growth of Abu Dhabi, welcoming more guests to their homes and enhancing travel benefits and customer experiences along the way.
Earlier in the year, Air France-KLM had announced the signing of an MoU with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism aimed at strengthening connectivity between Europe and Abu Dhabi.
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