Jet Airways and Etihad Airways forge alliance

Abu Dhabi : Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates and Jet Airways of India  announced that the UAE national carrier has agreed to subscribe for 27,263,372 new shares in Jet Airways at a price of INR754.74 per share. The value of this equity investment is US$379 million and will result in Etihad Airways holding 24 per cent of the enlarged share capital of Jet Airways.

Etihad Airways’ wider overall commitment to Jet Airways includes the injection of US$220 million to create and strengthen a wide-ranging partnership between the two carriers.

Under the strategic partnership, which will be subject to full regulatory and shareholder approval, the airlines will gradually expand existing operations and introduce new routes between India and Abu Dhabi, providing an ever wider choice to the travelling public. They will combine their network of 140 destinations, with Jet Airways establishing a Gulf gateway in Abu Dhabi and expanding its reach through Etihad Airways’ growing global network.

Passengers from 23 cities in India will benefit from direct connections to international destinations. New flights from Jet Airways’ home hubs and metro airports will further strengthen its current operations from these airports. Jet Airways’ vision continues to be to develop Delhi and Mumbai airports as its primary home hubs and connecting them to Asian, European and other regions.

Details of the investment were unveiled by Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, and the Chairman of Jet Airways, Naresh Goyal.

A key component of the wide-ranging partnership is expanded codesharing on flights with passengers benefiting from reciprocal ‘earn-and-burn’ rights on the airlines’ frequent flyer programs.

The proposed codeshare expansion will significantly enable Etihad Airways to tap into India’s rapidly growing travel market, providing additional passenger traffic to Etihad Airways’ Middle Eastern, North American and European destinations, and give Jet Airways passengers from various cities access to an expanded network.

Current estimates predict the size of the Indian market to grow to 42 million travellers over the next five years at a rate of 10 per cent per year, while the Indian middle class, which provides the majority of air travel demand, is forecast to grow by 200 million, over the next eight years.

Etihad Airways currently flies to nine Indian destinations including Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Kochi, with a total of 59 flights per week.

The partnership will also help drive a significant increase in traffic growth through Abu Dhabi International Airport, as well as Jet Airways’ hubs of Mumbai and Delhi international airports. – Etihad