In November last year, Etihad Airways confirmed ten new routes in one day, all scheduled to go live in 2025. One was a nonstop service between the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi, and Taiwan’s capital, Taipei. Although scheduled for a launch on September 7, 2025, with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying passengers, that route will become the cornerstone of a new codeshare agreement that it has entered with Taipei-based Starlux Airlines.
The codeshare partnership will be a mutually beneficial arrangement, signed on the sidelines of the 81st IATA AGM in New Delhi. For Etihad passengers, the new agreement with Starlux allows for seamless connections to three Japanese destinations: Nagoya, Sapporo, and Fukuoka, via Taipei. On the other hand, those travelling with Starlux Airlines get access to Etihad Airways’ European network, including Prague, Madrid and Barcelona, via its home hub.
Starlux and Etihad have also agreed to offer their respective passengers on codeshare flights single-ticket bookings, straightforward check-in procedures, and baggage check-in to the final destination. Bookings for codeshare flights will open through the authorised channels of both airlines, and the services will commence after the completion of necessary regulatory approvals.
Etihad and Starlux will also work to introduce a reciprocal frequent-flyer programme to deepen their strategic ties. Passengers won’t have to wait long; it should be in place by the end of the year.
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