Etihad Airways and Abra Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening connectivity between Latin America, the Middle East and Asia through the combined networks of Etihad and Abra's airlines: Avianca, GOL and Wamos Air.
The MoU reflects Abra's strategy of leveraging the complementary strengths of its airline portfolio to create new growth opportunities, expand connectivity for customers and develop innovative commercial partnerships with leading global carriers. It also reflects Etihad's strategy of strengthening Abu Dhabi's connectivity by working with leading airlines in complementary markets. Through this collaboration, Abra and Etihad will explore opportunities across network development, loyalty programmes, aircraft leasing arrangements, ACMI services and broader commercial cooperation.
The partnership contemplates expanded cooperation between Etihad, Avianca, and GOL through reciprocal loyalty benefits, commercial collaboration, and codeshare agreements, with plans to launch these initiatives in 2026.
A key objective of the partnership is to create a new bridge, opening new horizons for Abra´s travelers through Etihad's network across the Middle East, Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and Australia, while providing Etihad customers with increased access to destinations throughout Latin America.
Beyond passenger connectivity, the collaboration highlights the strategic role of Abra's multi-brand platform in delivering tangible benefits to travelers. GOL and Etihad intend to evaluate a potential dry lease of an Airbus A330-900, with a target start date of November 2026, while Wamos Air is expected to support Etihad's expansion plans. These initiatives demonstrate how Abra can leverage the complementary capabilities of its multiple operations to support partners' growth while creating additional value for customers and stakeholders across the group.
Source: Etihad Airways