Etihad Airways and Bahrain’s Gulf Air signed a cooperation agreement to deepen the partnership between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, sets out specific actions for growing commercial cooperation, building on an agreement the airlines signed in 2018, Etihad Airways said in a statement on Wednesday.

In the first phase of the agreement, by June 2021, the scope of the partners’ codeshare agreement will be significantly expanded. Etihad and Gulf Air will be able to offer up to 30 more combined destinations beyond the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain hubs to destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.

The airlines will work together to optimize joint operations on the Abu Dhabi-Bahrain route, with improvements to network connectivity.

They will also improve the respective offerings to premium-tier customers of each others’ loyalty schemes, Etihad Guest and Falconflyer, including reciprocal lounge access and better recognition through passengers’ journeys, regardless of the operating airline.

The 2018 agreement provided for exploration of maintenance, repair and overhaul, pilot and crew training, and cargo opportunities, which the parties now intend to revisit in light of “current market opportunities and company requirements”, the statement said.