3 Airlines sign codeshare agreement
NAN-H-37
Agreement
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, April 12, 2017 (NAN) The Ethiopian Airlines has signed codeshare agreement with Singapore Airlines and Air Europe to offer their customers travelling between Africa, Asia and Europe seamless connectivity options from June 1.
The airline disclosed this in a statement by its Communication Consultant, Mr Chukwuemeka Chigozie, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Mr Girma Shiferaw, the Airlines’ Acting Vice President, Strategic Planning and Alliances, said its daily non-stop services to Singapore from Addis Ababa, would be covered by the expanded codeshare agreement.
Shiferaw explained that the expanded agreement would enable Ethiopian Airlines customers to access multiple destinations in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam across Singapore Airlines’ wide network.
He said that Singapore Airlines customers in turn, would enjoy access to Ethiopian Airlines’ vast intra-African network including countries like Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique.
Other networks according to him are The Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
“I wish to thank Singapore Airlines for the successful completion of this vital agreement.
“The two airlines will synergize their respective networks in Asia and Africa to offer customers the best connectivity options with one ticket and one single check-in at the first boarding airport.
“It will also play a critical role in enhancing investment, trade and tourism ties between a rising Africa, and a highly developed, innovative and business-friendly Singapore,” he said.
The Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President, Marketing Planning, Mr Tan Kai Ping, said the partnership was in line with the effort to expand its network reach between Africa, Asia and South Pacific.
Ping said the airlines first began code sharing on each other’s flights to and from Dubai in 2011.
According to him, the expanded codeshare flights are subject to regulatory approvals and will be progressively made available for sale across various sales channels.
“Ethiopian Airlines operates the youngest fleets in Africa with an average aircraft age of less than five years, serving more than 90 international destinations across five continents with over 240 daily departures.
“Singapore Airlines operates a modern passenger aircraft fleet of more than 100 aircraft.
“Together with wholly owned passenger airline subsidiaries SilkAir, Scoot and Tigerair, the SIA Group’s combined network covers more than 130 destinations around the world,” he said.
On the agreement with Air Europa, Mr Busera Awel, Chief Commercial Officer Ethiopian Airlines, said the new partnership was a free sale codeshare agreement.
Awel explained that the agreement would allow the partner airlines access to each other’s network by creating smooth connection at their respective hubs.
According to him, this strategic collaboration will enable our esteemed customer’s reach multiple destinations in Europe through one point check-in at point of origin.
“Reciprocally, Ethiopian vast African network is an added advantage to customers of Air Europa; connecting 53 major cities in Africa with minimum layover at our Addis hub,” he said. (NAN)
OYS/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola