Etihad Airways, has announced it commenced codeshare flights with Hainan Airlines of China, this is the first codeshare with a Chinese carrier.

Hainan Airlines now places its ‘HU’ code on Etihad Airways-operated flights between Abu Dhabi and the airline’s three gateway cities in China: Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. The agreement also extends to Etihad Airways flights to Khartoum International Airport in Sudan.

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways stated on the with Hainan Airlines: “The agreement with Hainan Airlines expands our network reach into China and gives us immediate access to the millions of potential Chinese travellers to the Middle East and beyond to Africa.
“It also provides a firm foundation for growing the Etihad Airways brand in the Chinese market.
“We will continue to explore opportunities for collaboration with Hainan Airlines and in particular, to include more destinations on each other’s networks over time.”

Tie Li, President of Hainan Airlines said: “the codeshare cooperation with Etihad Airways will reinforce Hainan Airlines’ development in the Middle East and Africa region. We have great expectations of the partnership, and believe that through mutual creativity, we will be able to bring synergy and hopefully value to our customers."

The agreement reciprocal Etihad and Hainan Airlines loyalty programs, enabling travelers to earn miles on each other’s flights.

Source: Etihad Airways