SkyTeam carrier Virgin Atlantic has identified the alliance’s newly-recruited Scandinavian operator SAS as a new codeshare partner, and has unveiled codeshares with Middle Eastern airlines El Al and Saudia. SAS is set to join SkyTeam in September, leaving Star Alliance in the process, following an investment agreement involving SkyTeam’s Air France-KLM Group as part of SAS’s restructuring programme. “Virgin Atlantic and SAS…are working towards new commercial partnerships with the best access to and from Scandinavian key hubs,” says the UK long-haul airline, although it has yet to specify the routes involved in the codeshare. “This collaboration will offer new destinations, enhanced connectivity, and a more seamless, elevated customer journey for all travellers in the very near future.” Virgin Atlantic is also entering a codeshare agreement with Israeli flag-carrier El Al, as it prepares to reinstate Tel Aviv services – suspended when the Gaza conflict began – from 5 September. The codeshare with El Al, says Virgin, will strengthen its offering and provide connectivity via London Heathrow to US destinations, through Virgin flights and those of its SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines.<br/>
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Etihad Airways and China Eastern Airlines will create a joint venture to develop routes between the UAE and Asia’s largest economy. The venture will allow the airlines to expand travel options for passengers between major Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing, and across the Middle East and Africa, according to a statement on Wednesday. It is expected to launch in early 2025 once both carriers receive regulatory sign off. The two airlines came to an agreement after first exploring the idea last year at an aviation gathering in Istanbul, Etihad Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said in an interview. The accord is the first of its kind between carriers from the two regions, aiming to facilitate connectivity between two of the most important aviation markets on the planet. The pact will allow the carriers to coordinate schedule and network development, Neves said. Etihad had previously pursued an ill-fated strategy of trying to funnel more traffic through its Abu Dhabi hub by buying stakes in smaller carriers. That plan fell apart after losses piled up, and Neves said he’d not repeat that approach to expand Etihad. Etihad and Shanghai-based China Eastern already have an agreement due to go into effect by end of this year to recognise each other’s frequent flier programs.<br/>