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Australia, September 1, 2010 – Australia, one of the best travel destinations around the world aside from Europe and UK and other parts of the world will now be very easy to travel to. Australia’s second largest airline company Virgin Blue has announced its partnership with Middle Eastern Carrier Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airlines, as it tries to match its flag-carrier Qantas in global reach.

Virgin Blue made an official announcement last August 26 and its international brand Virgin Australia and Etihad to partner and reach for a goal of a network destinations of about 100, and should be the first to become Australian carrier to operate to the Middle East region since its beginning from 1991.

With this, there will be around 27 flights every week in between Australia and Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub, to enable people and travellers to have single ticket straight flights from the Virgin Australia. Etihad has covers a large number of destinations all over the world, which is both long and short haul, in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia.

According to John Borghetti, Virgin Blue’s Big boss, that this partnership is a real game changr, possibly adding another power arm for their reputable airline. “Everybody wins from this partnership,” he said, adding, “it increases competition, choice and convenience for the travelling public.

Aviation analyst the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) agreed, pointing out that the deal was more comprehensive for travelers than the Qantas-British Airways agreement on the popular “Kangaroo” route between London and Australia.

“The great advantage of a tie-up with Etihad is the wide range of one-stop points which will become available to Virgin Blue-Etihad customers – whereas Qantas-BA services all fly via London, making continental destinations more time consuming,” said CAPA.

“Qantas offers a daily one-stop to Frankfurt, but that is the carrier’s only continental European operation.”
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independent.co.uk