Etihad has secured a victory over Germany’s transport ministry after a court supported its right jointly to sell tickets for certain routes operated by Air Berlin. A German appeals court ruled that Etihad, which owns a 29 per cent stake in Air Berlin, could continue to code-share on 26 out of 31 flights until March 26, the end of the winter flying schedule, reversing a lower court’s decision. The flights have been at the centre of a legal dispute between Etihad and Germany’s transport ministry since last year, when the government won a case against the two airlines over the legality of 31 of their 81 code-share routes. A court ruling in December said the airlines could not continue to code-share on these flights from January 16 as they are not covered by the air traffic rights agreement between Germany and the United Arab Emirates. Etihad subsequently appealed against the decision. Code-sharing enables both airlines to expand their networks by selling tickets on some of each other’s flights. The partnership provides important income for Air Berlin, which is undergoing a turnround as part of Etihad’s investment in the carrier in 2011, while it gives Etihad more access to Germany’s top airports. <br/>