Etihad Airways, Swiss sign codeshare agreement

Codeshares part of broader agreement between Lufthansa Group and Etihad Aviation Group in 2016 covering catering and aircraft maintenance deal

Etihad Airways and Swiss International Airlines sign new codeshare agreement. Delores Johnson / The National

Etihad Airways and Swiss International Air Lines signed a new codeshare partnership for flights between two cities in Switzerland starting March 26, building on a wider cooperation pact between Swiss parent Lufthansa Group and Etihad Aviation Group.

The agreement will allow Etihad to sell tickets under its own flight code between Zurich and Geneva, two cities it already serves from its Abu Dhabi hub, the airline said in an emailed statement Wednesday. Swiss will put its flight code on service between Abu Dhabi and Zurich.

The codeshare deepens Etihad's commitment to the Swiss travel market, a key destination for travelers from the UAE, Gulf countries and Asia-Pacific, Peter Baumgartner, Etihad's chief executive officer, said.

The new codeshares are part of a bigger cooperation agreement between Lufthansa and Etihad signed in 2016, spanning catering and aircraft maintenance deals, that could be a springboard for a broader alliance.

Booking for the flights starts immediately for travel from next week.