Pictured: Etihad Airways President and CEO, James Hogan with South African Airways Acting CEO, Nico Bezuidenhout

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between South African Airways (SAA) and Etihad Airways allowing the two airlines to introduce a comprehensive range of codeshare and interline air services as well as explore synergy and efficiency opportunities.

Initially South African Airways will place its ‘SA’ code on 12 Etihad Airways destinations flying from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national carrier’s Abu Dhabi home-base. Additional cities in the Middle East, Asia and India will be added as the necessary approvals are secured.

In return Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY’ code on flights from Johannesburg to 10 SAA destinations across South Africa, Africa and South America.

The agreed cooperation between the two airlines is in line with Etihad Airways’ highly successful global alliance strategy in which the Abu Dhabi-based airline works with partner airlines to identify potential areas of cost savings as well as opportunities to achieve economies of scale.