BERN: Regional air carrier Darwin Airline has the green light to cooperate with Etihad Airways in Switzerland, giving the Middle Eastern carrier a foothold in the Swiss air traffic market.
In anticipation of the deal, in which Etihad bought a 33.3% share in Darwin Airline in November 2013, Darwin rebranded itself Etihad Regional. However, clearance from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation was needed because under European Union law, which also applies to Switzerland in this case, European airlines must be controlled by European companies. To get around those limitations, Etihad had been buying up stakes in local carriers such as Air Berlin, Alitalia and Darwin.
Under the decision reached on Thursday, Darwin has also been permitted to carry out flights in Europe on behalf of Alitalia and Air Berlin, creating a business model where it is less dependent on Etihad than originally proposed.
