Etihad Airways, China Eastern to Launch Joint Venture
Travelers can then earn points and miles—and redeem awards—when flying on either airline.
Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways have signed an agreement to set up a joint venture (JV) in 2025 to develop routes between Chinese cities and strategic cities in the UAE and across our Middle East and Africa regions, according to a joint statement issued by Etihad Airways.[1]
The strategic cities in focus for the JV include Beijing, Kunming, Shanghai, and Xi’an in China. Both airlines expect to receive the required regulatory approvals to launch the JV in early 2025.
Separately, both airlines plan to extend full reciprocity for their frequent flyer programs in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024. Travelers can then earn points and miles—and redeem awards—when flying on either airline.
China Eastern is a SkyTeam alliance member.
Etihad Airways, the UAE's flag carrier, announced a profit after tax of Dh526 million ($143.21 million) for the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, compared to Dh59 million ($16.06 million) recorded during the first three months of 2023, a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 791%.
It was also reported that Etihad Airways is ramping up preparations for a potential initial public offering (IPO) set to raise around $1 billion.