Etihad Airways and Aer Lingus have signed a codeshare agreement, this follows the Abu Dhabi based airline recent acquisition of approximately three per cent equity stake in the Irish carrier.

With the codesharing,  Etihad Airways will assign its “EY” code on Aer Lingus flights between Dublin, Manchester and London Heathrow, and destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United States.

Aer Lingus will reciprocate and assign its “EI” code on Etihad Airways flights between Abu Dhabi and Dublin, with full to flights across the network beyond Abu Dhabi, covering Australia, Asia-Pacific, the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East.Currently Etihad Airways has 35 other airline codeshare agreements.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ president and chief executive oficer, said, “We are delighted to announce this new codeshare agreement with Aer Lingus which will provide Etihad Airways’ customers with new travel options and flight connections to Ireland, the UK, continental Europe, and across the Atlantic to Boston and New York.

“The codeshare agreement is an early indication of the success of Etihad Airways’ strategic plan to acquire equity in Aer Lingus and other airlines and the instant benefit it brings to both airlines’ customers around the world.”

Christoph Mueller, Aer Lingus’ chief executive, said, “Today’s announcement supports Aer Lingus’ strategy to provide greater access and choice to our customers. We are delighted to welcome Etihad Airways on board as a codeshare partner.”

The new Etihad Airways codeshare flights will be on sale today for travel from the 15th September 2012. Some of the routes are pending regulatory approvals.

The Etihad Airways “EY” code will be assigned on the following Aer Lingus flights:

• Between Dublin and Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kerry, Lisbon, London Gatwick, London Heathrow and Manchester.
• Between London Heathrow and Dublin, Cork, and Shannon.
• Between Manchester and Dublin, Cork, and Shannon.
• Between Dublin and Boston and New York JFK. 

Etihad Airways operates10 flights a week from Abu Dhabi to Dublin and has carried more than 817,000 passengers between the two destinations since it launched the route on July, 2007.

The airline has a lounge at Dublin Airport, an engineering maintenance facility and has conducted recruitment program in Ireland. Etihad Airways recently renewed its sponsorship of the Gaelic Athletic Association, signing a five-year agreement.