Etihad inks codeshare deal with Afghan airline

Etihad Airways said on Saturday it will gain better access to Kabul following the signing of a codeshare agreement with Safi Airways, Afghanistan's international airline. Under the deal, Etihad Airways has placed its two-letter 'EY' code on the four weekly services which Safi Airways has operated between Abu Dhabi and the Afghan capital since February 2012. Codeshare services between the two capital cities began on Friday, a statement said. The new agreement will also give air travellers in Afghanistan greater and easier access to the Abu Dhabi-based airline's network of 86 destinations. Etihad Airways chief commercial oOfficer, Peter Baumgartner, said: "Etihad continues to expand its codeshare partnership across the world in line with its strategic network development plans. "We were looking to improve point to point service to Kabul through a codeshare alliance with a carrier whose commitment to service and product is building rapidly." Lloyd Carswell, chief commercial officer, Safi Airways, added: "The codeshare with Etihad Airways is part of our long term strategic plan to consolidate our presence within the GCC and our ultimate goal to maximise connections to and from Afghanistan. "The Etihad Airways network will allow us both to create a strategic and tangible step forward in the relentless pursuit of reconnecting Afghanistan to the rest of the world." Etihad Airways has 34 other codeshare agreements in place.