LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Fiji Airways and Etihad Airways, the national airlines of Fiji and the United Arab Emirates, respectively, announced today a new and far reaching interline agreement between the two carriers.
This agreement will allow reciprocal sales from and to 12 cities in Europe, 17 cities in the Middle East, five cities in Africa, five cities in North America, 29 cities in Asia and three cities in Australia to and from Fiji. The agreement is effective immediately and is the starting point of further negotiations between the two airlines.
James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways, states, "Fiji is a great holiday market, and we are happy to offer Fiji as an additional destination in our global network. The agreement also connects the outer South Pacific Islands to our network which creates more opportunities for our worldwide sales force."
Stefan Pichler, managing director and CEO of Fiji Airways, comments, "We are proud to be part of the global Etihad Airways network, and this partnership will help us put Fiji on the map in countries where we initially had no presence. Etihad Airways will help us expand our customer database and diversify our country's tourism streams. It is definitely a major step for Fiji Airways."
The Fijian Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum adds that the Fijian Government hopes this agreement will strengthen both Fiji's national airline and the national economy for the long-term benefit of every Fijian.
Etihad Airways joins Fiji Airways' impressive list of codeshare or interline partners, which includes American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Air New Zealand.
Fiji Airways: Founded in 1951, Fiji Airways is Fiji's national airline and aims to become the airline of choice of the South Pacific. From its hub at Nadi International Airport, Fiji Airways and its subsidiary, Pacific Sun, fly to 15 cities in 10 countries. Destinations include Australia, New Zealand, USA, Hong Kong, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands. Fiji Airways transports over 64% of all visitors who fly to Fiji, and the two companies earn revenues of over $380m USD. www.fijiairways.com
Etihad Airways: Etihad Airways began operations in 2003, and in 2013 carried 11.5 million passengers. From its Abu Dhabi base Etihad Airways flies to 103 existing or announced passenger and cargo destinations. www.etihad.com.
Contact:
Shane Hussein
Manager Public Relations & Communications
Fiji Airways | +679 673 7425
shane.hussein@fijiairways.com | @shanehussein
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SOURCE Fiji Airways
