Etihad partners with Lufthansa

ETIHAD AIRWAYS AND Lufthansa have embarked on a new partnership covering catering and engineering which is designed to lay the foundations for further integration. The agreements cover a $100m catering contract with LSG Sky Chefs across 16 cities, and an MoU with leading MRO provider Lufthansa Technik.

Etihad Aviation Group’s CEO James Hogan hailed the tie-up as one of its most important“non-equity partnerships”, although that phrase was telling, following the ongoing challenges Etihad has faced with AirBerlin – 33 planes are now being operated by Lufthansa’s Eurowings – and Alitalia, which is grappling with strikes.“We continue to refine and fine-tune strategies to react to market challenges,”he said.

The tie-up coincided with the start of a new codeshare involving Etihad and Lufthansa on routes between Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt and Munich. Etihad will have access to Lufthansa’s terminals in both airports. recently unveiled at Munich airport (above), has begun flights to Delhi, with Boston set to follow mid-March. The first 10 planes will be based at Munich, with 15 to follow. The airline plans to gradually replace its A340s with the A350.