State-owned South African Airways (SAA) had its first flight to Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The flight formed part of a codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways and would see SAA’s intercontinental reach expand. The daily service would see frequencies between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi double, with Etihad Airways continuing its seven weekly departures.

The airlines significantly expanded their codeshare agreement to include a total of 51 routes, more than double the previous number. A two-cabin Airbus A330-200 aircraft, configured to carry 36 passengers in business class and 186 in economy class, would operate the SAA service.

“Since first signing our codeshare agreement in 2013, the important partnership between SAA and Etihad Airways has grown positively. Our deepening relationship not only sees both airlines enjoy network expansion through codesharing but, together, we are exploring means to share knowledge and best practice across a variety of aviation related and commercial matters,” SAA acting CEONico Bezuidenhout said.

Business and leisure travellers would benefit from the convenience of multiple flight options between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi within the same day. More than 1 000 connections would also be offered each week over Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub to key markets including the Gulf Cooperation Council region, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and North and South East Asia, including China.

Etihad Airways would also place its ‘EY’ code on South African Airways’ new Johannesburg–Abu Dhabi flights, in addition to 17 of SAA’s other services from Johannesburg to key destinations across the African continent. In return, SAA will place its ‘SA’ code on 35 Etihad Airways routes beyond Abu Dhabi to a range of destinations worldwide.

“Aviation plays an important role not only in the movement of people and goods, but also as an economic growth and development catalyst, and the new service will support this,” Bezuidenhout added.

Currently, more than 200 South African companies were doing business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and trade between the countries passed the R20-billion mark in 2013. South African exports to the UAE rose from R5.2-billion in 2009 to more than R11-billion in 2013.

“It is connectivity to growing markets, for South African companies, that underpins the role of SAA as the national airline, a role charged with supporting and enabling economic benefit across all strata, including tourism.”

The UAE was considered one of South Africa’s top ten emerging export partners. The UAE was also the twenty-fourth largest investor in South Africa with foreign direct investment into South Africa having already reached the R12-billion mark by 2012 and continuing to grow. It was also estimated that more than 50 000 South African nationals now work and live in the region.