SriLankan, Etihad in new codeshare

SriLankan Airlines and Etihad Airways have joined in a historic partnership which will enhance the route networks of both airlines.

From October 1, SriLankan will begin codesharing on Etihad flights to Amman, Geneva, Dublin, Munich, Brussels, and Manchester.

Etihad will do the same on SriLankan’s flights to Male in the Maldives.

The initial partnership between the two airlines commenced in September 2007 when Etihad began codesharing on SriLankan’s flights between Abu Dhabi and Colombo.

CEO of SriLankan Manoj Gunawardena said: “SriLankan Airlines looks forward to a fruitful long-term relationship with Etihad. We are very happy with the success of our partnership up to now.

I have no doubt that the new agreement will be of significant benefit to our passengers throughout Europe and Asia, including Sri Lanka.”

Codesharing refers to the arrangement between two airlines by which passengers of one airline can book flights on the other.

For the airlines, it provides opportunities to serve more destinations without having to invest in more aircraft and infrastructure. Codesharing is usually between airlines of similar standards, to ensure that passengers receive excellent service.

For SriLankan, the codeshares through Abu Dhabi from Geneva, Dublin, Munich, Brussels, and Manchester will greatly enhance European tourists’ accessibility to Sri Lanka.

They will also serve Sri Lankan expatriates domiciled in Europe. The codeshare to Amman will serve labour traffic in Jordan, where a large number of Sri Lankans are employed.