Emirates and Etihad, the two major carriers based in the UAE, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to expand their interline agreement.

Emirates and Etihad will interline deeply with each other.

Emirates and Etihad have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the Arabian Travel Market, which commits them to expand their interline agreement and provide travellers with additional itinerary options when visiting the UAE. This first-of-its-kind agreement between the two UAE carriers aims to capitalise on opportunities to boost tourism to the UAE from crucial source markets by enabling visitors to experience more than one destination in a single itinerary.

This summer, customers of each airline will be able to purchase a single ticket to fly into Dubai or Abu Dhabi, with a seamless return via the other airport. The new agreement also provides travellers planning to explore the UAE with the flexibility of one-stop ticketing for their entire journey and convenient baggage check-in.

In the initial stages of the expanded interline, each carrier will focus on attracting visitors to the UAE by developing inbound interline traffic from select points in Europe and China. The ‘open jaw’ arrangement will allow visitors to cover as much ground as possible when exploring Abu Dhabi, Dubai or any other emirate. It saves time by removing the need to fly home via their arrival airport. Customers travelling into the UAE also have the option of ‘multi-city flights’, choosing to travel from one city on both carriers’ networks and conveniently returning to another point served by either Emirates or Etihad.

The MoU was signed at Arabian Travel Market by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, and Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer of Etihad Airways, in the presence of Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, and Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad CEO, along with other senior representatives.

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said

We are pleased to be working again with Etihad Airways – this time to allow each carrier to offer a new range of seamless travel options in and out of the UAE. Emirates and Etihad are leveraging on our strengths to expand our respective customer offerings and boost UAE tourism. We believe this new agreement provides a strong foundation to develop further opportunities between both airlines and is an example of our commitment to the UAE’s vision for continued economic diversification.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said,

We’re delighted to partner with Emirates in our shared mission to support inbound tourism to the UAE and facilitate travel to our vibrant cities. With two world-class airlines supporting UAE tourism, our interline agreement will make it more convenient for our guests to experience the best of Abu Dhabi and Dubai on one single ticket while promising to deliver an exceptional flying experience whether they fly with Etihad Airways or Emirates. It’s a win-win proposition for travellers to the UAE.

The expanded interline partnership draws upon the commitment of both airlines to support the UAE government’s objective to promote tourism to the UAE and enhance the UAE’s position as a preferred global destination. Tourism is one of the critical pillars of the UAE Economy. It is expected to contribute to 5.4% of the nation’s total GDP, or AED 116.1 billion (USD 31.6 billion), supporting over 1 million jobs by 2027.

This is the second time the airlines have announced a collaboration. In 2018, Emirates Group Security and Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen aviation security, including sharing information and intelligence in operational areas both within and outside the UAE. Last year, Emirates signed an MoU with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to boost tourist numbers to the UAE capital from key source markets across the airline’s global network.

Bottomline

This is a good move overall, where Emirates and Etihad have started cooperating with each other. Will this lead to an eventual merger? It is too far to speak. But Etihad is rising back from the dead now and being more proactive under the new ownership, and it might be the start of something bigger. While the date has yet to be notified, Emirates and Etihad will soon be able to offer interline arrangements with each other.

What do you make of this move from Etihad and Emirates?

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