Partnership also provides access to the popular destinations of Hanoi and Da Nang in Vietnam, as well as Perth, Australia. Medan and Hong Kong set to be added in the near future 

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, and Batik Air Malaysia have enhanced their cooperation with the launch of a codeshare partnership to boost connectivity for passengers of both airlines.

Etihad's guests can now seamlessly access eight domestic and international locations via Batik’s hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), enjoying the combined services and networks of both carriers on a single ticket. 

Additionally, guests enjoy the convenience of having their luggage smoothly transferred to their final destination.

The agreement now allows Etihad guests to conveniently travel to five new domestic codeshare destinations in Malaysia: Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau; along with three international points, Da Nang and Hanoi in Vietnam, and Perth in Australia.

With the agreement, both inbound and outbound Malaysia passengers will have a wider choice of flights on the combined networks.

Batik’s network is now easily accessible to customers, who can connect via its gateway in Kuala Lumpur, served by twice-daily Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi.

 Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad, said: “This collaboration significantly enhances our codeshare network, offering travellers seamless access to five key destinations in Malaysia, including the idyllic island of Langkawi, the culturally and culinary rich city of Penang, and Kota Kinabalu, the gateway to Borneo’s tallest peak Mount Kinabalu.

"Equally, we eagerly anticipate extending a warm welcome to customers from Asia visiting our home in Abu Dhabi, experiencing our renowned hospitality, as well as passengers connecting to Etihad’s growing global network in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe via our Abu Dhabi hub."

 Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, Chief Executive Officer of Batik Air Malaysia, said: "Through this partnership, we aim to welcome visitors globally to explore Malaysia's diverse attractions, alongside destinations across South-East Asia and more.

“We aim to establish Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) as a transit hub, further enhancing Etihad's connectivity for its passengers, ensuring a more comprehensive and convenient travel experience,” he said, adding that Etihad passengers can easily transit through KUL to reach various destinations in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and beyond.

“Moreover, this partnership will expand flight choices for Malaysian travellers, offering enhanced travel options to discover new international destinations beyond Abu Dhabi.”

The new codeshare is in operation now, for flights commencing 16 July 2024. The agreement with Batik becomes Etihad’s 38th codeshare partner.

About Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, was formed in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the world’s leading airlines. From its home in Abu Dhabi, Etihad flies to passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Together with Etihad’s codeshare partners, Etihad’s network offers access to hundreds of international destinations. In recent years, Etihad has received numerous awards for its superior service and products, cargo offering, loyalty programme and more. Etihad sees tackling the climate crisis as the most important issue of our time and was named the Airline Ratings Environmental Airline of the Year for three consecutive years since 2022. It has invested billions in fuel-efficient aircraft. Through strategic partnerships with major global aviation brands and OEMs, Etihad is relentless in its pursuit of industry decarbonisation. To learn more, visit etihad.com.

About Batik Air

Batik Air is a rapidly expanding Malaysian-based airline with its main hub at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, KLIA Main Terminal, the convenient KL downtown city airport in Selangor, Malaysia. The airline took to the skies in March 2013 with domestic flights in Malaysia and has since grown to operate routes to all major airports across the continents of Asia, Australia, Middle East and Central Asia.  The airline has also obtained the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).  Batik Air holds full membership in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as well. With an extensive network of 800 weekly flights, Batik Air offers seamless connections to over 50 destinations across 19 countries. Batik Air carried a total of 4.5 million passengers in 2023.

For further details:
Duty Media Officer
Etihad Airways
Tel: +97150 818 9596
Email: dutymediaofficer@etihad.ae