Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) has now received approval from FOCA to acquire a 33.3 percent share of Darwin Airline (Lugano), now operating as Etihad Regional.
Etihad issued this statement:
Etihad Airways has received the approval from Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation to take a 33.3 percent stake in Darwin Airline – a Swiss regional carrier.
Beginning January 2014, according to a brand partnership deal with Etihad Airways, Darwin Airline has operated as Etihad Regional.
FOCA’s approval of the investment now allows Etihad and Darwin to fully benefit from the partnership, including using codeshares on each other’s flights.
“Because of the time it took to secure this deal, and due to the fierce competition during this period, Etihad Regional has been obliged to withdraw or reduce services on numerous routes. They were launched based on the fact that they would benefit from the support of traffic running between our global network and our Etihad Regional European network,” said James Hogan, President and CEO of Etihad Airways.
Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. SAAB 2000 HB-IZZ (msn 048) approaches the runway at Zurich.
Etihad Airways aircraft slide show: 
Etihad Regional aircraft slide show:
