This agreement will further deepen and broaden the commercial cooperation based on 2018 MOU for exploration of MRO, pilot and crew training, and cargo opportunities
1 March 2021: Etihad Airways and Gulf Air have signed a Strategic Commercial Cooperation Agreement (SCCA) to deepen their partnership between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and beyond the respective hubs. This agreement will further deepen and broaden the commercial cooperation based on 2018 MOU signed between them subject to government and regulatory approvals.
The 2018 MOU also provided for exploration of MRO, pilot and crew training, and cargo opportunities, which the parties will now re-visit in light of current market opportunities and company requirements.
Tony Douglas said: “This agreement reinforces the strength of the ongoing partnership between our two airlines. We look forward to exploring pragmatic ways in which the two carriers can increasingly work seamlessly between our two capitals, enhance benefits and customer experience for our most frequent travelers and further extend the reach of our joint networks beyond our hubs.”
As per this phased collaboration, Etihad and Gulf Air will be able to offer up to an additional 30 combined destinations beyond the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain hubs, across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.
The airlines will work together to optimize joint operations on the Abu Dhabi-Bahrain route, with improvements to network connectivity over each of the partners’ hubs. The partners will also enhance their respective offerings to premium tier customers of Etihad Guest and Falconflyer, including reciprocal lounge access at the hubs and enhanced recognition through a guest’s journey.
Captain AlAlawi said: “Our relationship with Etihad Airways has always been strong and today we are reaching a higher level of collaboration with many more opportunities in the horizon between the national carriers of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. This agreement will empower both of us to offer a more elevated experience to passengers and widen their travel options.”
Additionally, the airlines will work together to improve the customer journey on Abu Dhabi –Bahrain, making it more seamless with enhanced and harmonized policies and products in areas such as baggage and ancillaries.
