JetBlue, Etihad Airlines announce partnership

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — JetBlue Airways Corp. and the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, have formed a partnership to allow passengers to fly on routes operated by both carriers on a single ticket.

A statement by the two airlines Wednesday says that initially, Etihad will codeshare on 40 JetBlue routes within the United States. The airliners say more codeshare services are planned on JetBlue flights once Etihad commences daily flights to Los Angeles this June.

The agreement is subject to government approval.

Etihad currently has non-stop daily flights from Abu Dhabi to New York, Washington D.C. and Chicago.

In late 2012, JetBlue formed a codeshare deal with the Mideast’s biggest airline, Emirates, which flies daily from its hub in Dubai to Jet Blue’s home base at New York’s JFK.