Travellers from the UAE now have greater access to the American market, following regulatory approval for a new codeshare agreement between Etihad Airways and American Airlines.

The new agreement comes into effect this week and coincides with Etihad launching flights to Chicago on 2 September 2009.

It also extends further the two airlines’ global networks by providing easy access between Abu Dhabi and key cities in the United States including Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.

The American Airlines domestic route covered by the new codeshare arrangement will initially include flights between New York and Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as flights between Chicago and Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.

The transatlantic services include American Airlines flights between: Paris and Boston, Chicago, Miami; Dublin and Chicago; Frankfurt and Dallas/Fort Worth; Manchester and Chicago; and Milan and New York.

Customers transferring between the two carriers will be able to purchase a single ticket for their journey and enjoy the convenience of being able to check in their luggage to their ultimate destination.

Etihad Airways currently flies to two destinations in North America: New York and Toronto in Canada. The airline will begin flights to Chicago from Wednesday 2 September, 2009. The route will be served initially three times a week and will increase to six flights per week from Sunday 1 November, before becoming a daily service from 1 January 2010.

American Airlines currently flies transatlantic services from New York to Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, London, Paris, Rome and Zurich; Chicago to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris and Rome; Miami to London, Madrid and Paris; Dallas/Fort Worth to London, Madrid, Paris and Frankfurt; Los Angeles to London; and Raleigh/Durham to London.

Etihad picked up “Middle East’s Leading Airline” plus a raft of other awards at the 2009 World Travel Awards Middle East Ceremony in Dubai in May.