What happens to the strategic partnership?

Both SAA and Etihad
have confirmed that SAA
cutting flights between
Johannesburg and Abu
Dhabi will not affect their
codeshare.
When the route was
first launched, it was
described as the second
phase of a “strategic
partnership” between
the airlines, significantly
developing the codeshare
agreement between SAA
and Etihad and allowing
travellers to connect
to various destinations
around the world.
“We will continue to
serve our customers
on the basis of the
codeshare to enable them
to access points beyond
Abu Dhabi,” Tlali said.
He added that Etihad
would be an operating
carrier and SAA would be
a marketing carrier on
these routes.
“The only difference is
that there will not be SAA
metal on this route,” said
Tlali.
Etihad Airways has
confirmed to TNW that it
will increase capacity on
its existing JohannesburgAbu
Dhabi daily route
through the deployment of
larger aircraft.
“There will be phased
delivery of five new
Boeing 787s over a
seven-month period,
beginning in May, where
the 299-seat Dreamliners
will be deployed as
replacements for existing
aircraft on our daily
scheduled services,” the
airline said