SAA and Etihad Airways commence India codes

MAR 31, 2015: South African Airways (SAA) and Etihad Airways have announced the commencement of their codeshare partnership in India. The new arrangement came into effect earlier this month. Starting 29th March passengers from six points– Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram will be able to fly to Johannesburg via Abu Dhabi.

“India is an extremely important market for us. A member BRICS state, India has significant investments in South Africa and the two countries are witnessing a steady rise in bilateral trade. At the same time, tourism is increasing significantly as well. The codeshare agreement will help passengers to fly to South Africa in an easy and convenient manner and boost trade and tourism alike by connecting six cities in India to Johannesburg via Abu Dhabi,” said Sajid Khan, Country Manager – India, South African Airways.

“South Africa has emerged as a preferred destination for business and leisure travellers from India. Our partnership with South African Airways will enable us to strengthen our connectivity in South Africa and help our passengers traverse the region easily,” added Neerja Bhatia, General Manager – India, Etihad Airways.

As part of the agreement, SA will codeshare on select EY flights to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram while EY will codeshare on SA279 from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg and SA278 from Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi. In addition to the codeshare flight, fliers could also use EY’s alternate service between Abu Dhabi and Johannesburg. Passengers can then continue their onward journey to various destinations in South Africa and the African continent using SAA’s domestic and regional flights.