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Etihad issues statement on German court ruling

31 Dec 2015 by Jeremy Tredinnick

Etihad Airways has issued a statement in response to the December 29 ruling by a German court that Etihad Airways will not be able to operate codeshares on some flights from January 16 to the end of its winter schedule in March 2016 because they were not supported by the agreement between the UAE and Germany on traffic rights.

“Etihad Airways is deeply disappointed by the German court’s decision… We are reviewing the judgment and will file an appeal against the decision early next week,” the statement begins.

A codeshare deal allows two airlines to market and sell seats on each other’s flights. The German transport ministry had approved the codeshare agreement between Etihad and Air Berlin on the routes – Etihad owns 29.2 per cent of Air Berlin, Germany’s second largest airline – but it changed its stance last year, saying the codeshares contravened the agreement on traffic rights.

“The social and economic damage to Germany by this decision is significant,” continues Etihad’s statement. “The withdrawal of approval for codeshare services on 29 routes materially reduces competition and consumer choice within and beyond Germany and causes inconvenience to passengers.

“Notwithstanding, we will continue to stand by our partner, Air Berlin, to promote competition and offer a superior product and travel experience.

“We will continue to honour all booked itineraries.”

For more information, see here or visit etihad.com

Jeremy Tredinnick

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