Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has signed a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines. The deal follows the launch of Etihad’s four flights a week service to the Turkish commercial capital, Istanbul, which began on 1 June.

Under the deal the Abu Dhabi-based airline will place its two-letter ‘EY’ code on Turkish Airline’s flights from Istanbul to the UAE’s capital city.

The aim of the agreement is to provide a seamless flight experience for customers in key Etihad destinations, such as Bangkok, Johannesburg and Beijing as well cities across the Middle East.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “Etihad Airways’ new service from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul has been extremely popular since its launch and we are delighted to sign this codeshare with Turkish Airlines which will support the growing demand for flights between these two cities and beyond.

“This latest codeshare agreement, Etihad’s sixteenth, will also help to link Turkish expatriate communities around the world, as well as build business links between the Turkey and the UAE.”

Mr. Temel Kotil Ph.D, Turkish Airlines’ chief executive and member of board, said: “We are delighted to conclude a code-share arrangement with Etihad Airways. This is a testament to the growing relationship between Turkish Airlines and Etihad Airways, our new partner.

“We will make every effort to maximize the opportunities offered by our combined network. More importantly, customers are the ultimate winners, as they benefit from the extensive networks of both airlines linking both the two hubs, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi, and beyond.”

Etihad currently has 16 other codeshare agreements with American Airlines, Aer Arran, Bangkok Airways, Brussels Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Jet Airways, Kuwait Airways, Yemen Airways, Saudi Arabia Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Philippine Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Qantas, Ukraine International and UK-based airline, bmi.