Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, solidified an inter-line and code share agreement with the Irish airline Aer Lingus. The agreement follows Etihad’s recent purchase of 2.987 percent equity in the Irish carrier.

As part of the agreement, Etihad Airways will place its EY code on Aer Lingus flights between Dublin, Manchester and London Heathrow, and destinations in Ireland, the British Isles, the Channel Islands, Portugal, the Netherlands and the U.S. In return, Aer Lingus will place its EI code on Etihad Airways flights between Abu Dhabi and Dublin, and have full access to flights across the network beyond Abu Dhabi, to points including Australia, Asia-Pacific, the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East.

Etihad Airways has 35 other code share agreements in place. Codeshare partnerships, equity acquisitions and organic growth are the three pillars of Etihad Airways’ expansion plans. James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ president and chief executive officer, said the new code share agreement “will provide Etihad Airways’ customers with new travel options and flight connections to Ireland, the U.K., continental Europe, and across the Atlantic to Boston and New York. The codeshare agreement is an early indication of the success of Etihad Airways’ strategic plan to acquire equity in Aer Lingus and other airlines and the instant benefit it brings to both airlines’ customers around the world.”

Christoph Mueller, Aer Lingus’ chief executive, said, “Today’s announcement supports Aer Lingus’ strategy to provide greater access and choice to our customers. We are delighted to welcome Etihad Airways on board as a codeshare partner.”

The new Etihad Airways codeshare flights will be on sale immediately for travel from Sept. 15. Some of the routes are still subject to regulatory approvals. The Etihad Airways EY code will be placed on the following Aer Lingus flights: Between Dublin and Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kerry, Lisbon, London Gatwick, London Heathrow and Manchester; between London Heathrow and Dublin, Cork, and Shannon; between Manchester and Dublin, Cork, and Shannon; and between Dublin and Boston and New York JFK.

Etihad Airways and Aer Lingus continue to discuss additional commercial and cost opportunities to develop a closer working relationship in areas such as joint procurement. Initially, members of the Etihad Guest loyalty program will be able to earn miles on Aer Lingus codeshare flights and further integration of frequent flyer programs is under discussion. Etihad Airways operates 10 flights a week from Abu Dhabi to Dublin and has carried more than 817,000 passengers between the two capitals since it began flying the route in July 2007.