Etihad and EgyptAir Boost Collaboration with New Agreement

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and EgyptAir have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance their partnership, aiming to expand codeshare agreements, frequent flyer programs, and joint marketing efforts. The agreement is expected to provide travelers with wider choices, higher quality services, and increased value.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, expressed his enthusiasm for the agreement, stating, “This agreement will help further deepen our codeshare with EgyptAir, opening up seamless travel for guests of both airlines across our networks. It also lays the tracks for cooperation across both our frequent flyer programs and will enable us to explore collaboration on joint-marketing campaigns and promotions designed to stimulate and reward our customers.”

Yehia Zakaria, Chairman & CEO of EgyptAir, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership.

“This MoU strengthens our strategic partnership with Etihad Airways and underscores our commitment to providing our valued customers with a seamless travel experience and access to a wider network,” said Zakaria.

“I am confident that this partnership with Etihad Airways will not only benefit our passengers but also foster a stronger relationship between Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. We look forward to a successful collaboration, soaring to new heights together.”

The existing codeshare agreement between the two airlines already enhances connectivity to destinations across each other’s networks, including routes between Egypt and the UAE and beyond Cairo into Africa and beyond Abu Dhabi into Asia. This MoU will extend these codeshares, offering one-stop access for EgyptAir travelers to more of Etihad’s network, including several destinations in Asia and Australia. In turn, Etihad customers will gain seamless access to further destinations on the EgyptAir network.

Riyadh Air and EgyptAir Collaborate on Enhanced Travel Benefits

In a parallel development, Riyadh Air, a new airline launched in Saudi Arabia, has signed an MoU with EgyptAir to offer guests a range of benefits when traveling between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other key destinations.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, emphasized the significance of this partnership, stating, “As a close neighboring country to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt is a market where we anticipate significant traffic both to and from Riyadh and Cairo, so it’s critically important that we work closely together to further drive demand,” said Douglas.

“The partnership will offer our guests much more choice between Riyadh and Cairo plus a wider range of destinations. There will be benefits between both airline’s loyalty programs and numerous other advantages and rewards that we look forward to sharing with our guests.”

EgyptAir Expands African Network

Meanwhile, EgyptAir has announced the launch of three new routes in July to the Somali capital Mogadishu, the Ivory Coast capital Abidjan, and Djibouti.

Starting from July 9, three weekly flights will operate to Abidjan on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. Additionally, two weekly flights will commence on July 11, linking Cairo, Djibouti, and Mogadishu. This expansion will increase the number of African destinations EgyptAir serves to 26, with plans to reach 32 destinations by 2028, including new routes to Dakar, Luanda, Cape Town, Bamako, Harare, and Lusaka.

These strategic partnerships and route expansions highlight EgyptAir’s commitment to enhancing its service offerings and expanding its global reach, benefiting travelers across the region and beyond.