Air France-KLM and Etihad Call it Quits

So, we’ve got some juicy airline drama on our hands as Air France-KLM and Etihad have decided it’s time to part ways. It’s one of those breakups you saw coming but didn’t quite expect to be this messy. Let’s dive into what’s freshly unfolded in the skies.

The End of a Flighty Friendship

Air France-KLM and Etihad had been working together in some capacity since 2012. The alliance started off with a modest interline agreement, slowly spiralling into a flurry of codeshares. Fast forward to 2023, and they really kicked it up a notch, moving in together with terminal co-location and even shared frequent flyer perks.

Part of this relationship upgrade included Air France launching flights to Abu Dhabi. But hold your planes, because by September 2024, news broke that Air France was grounding its Paris to Abu Dhabi route, barely a year after takeoff. Meanwhile, Etihad was going gung-ho with more flights to Paris. It looked less like mutual growth and more like a case of mismatched expectations.

Now, the undeniable clamor of a breakup echoes across the tarmac, with Air France-KLM and Etihad wrapping up their codeshare deal on March 29, 2025, and the interline agreement following suit on April 15, 2025.

Something went wrong with this partnership that they’re ending it. – @MeenzMev on March 25, 2025

The cessation of frequent flyer benefits seems inevitable, though details haven’t been spelled out. This isn’t just a bad weather day; it’s a thunderstorm sweeping away a partnership nurtured since 2012.

A Bitter Breakup?

It’s hard to ignore the sour taste this ending leaves. Even more surprising is the untethering of their most basic interline agreement. For context, even airlines that eye each other over razor wire fences, like British Airways and its rivals, hold interline agreements with minimal fuss.

After a partnership’s grand launch, it feels bizarre to see these airlines drop such a standard form of cooperation. What’s next? Post-breakup blues with a side of new relationships?

There’s whispers that Air France-KLM’s heart might be set on Riyadh Air, flirting with the prospects of a fresh partnership. The timing aligns with Air France’s plans to start flights to Riyadh, with SkyTeam pals Delta and Virgin Atlantic allegedly joining the fray.

Yet this potential new romance doesn’t entirely explain the Etihad fallout. Etihad’s management has generally had a steady hand on the controls, but it seems like their partnership strategy is coming apart at the seams. What’s really going on behind closed cockpit doors?

The Nitty-Gritty

Here’s what we’ve gathered from this high-altitude soap opera:

• Partnership origins back to 2012, deepened in 2023.
• Air France-KLM ends Paris to Abu Dhabi route, while Etihad increases Paris flights.
• The duo officially splits with codeshare ending March 29, 2025, and interline April 15, 2025.
• Rumors swirl about new Air France-KLM linkups, possibly with Riyadh Air.
• Etihad’s partnerships seem in turbulence.

Final Descent

Air France-KLM and Etihad are doing more than trimming the excess luggage; they’re basically throwing their collaboration out with the duty-free trash. Just a year after pouring champagne at their revamped partnership launch, everything’s hit the metaphorical skids.

So, what’s your call on this Air France-KLM and Etihad saga? A doomed dalliance or a new beginning in disguise? We’re all ears—or wings—here.

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