Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has won approval from US regulators for its codeshare agreement with Irish airline Aer Lingus.

The approval allows the airline to operate codeshare flights from Abu Dhabi via Dublin to the US destinations of Boston, Chicago and New York.

The Abu Dhabi airline already puts its flight code on Aer Lingus flights between Dublin to several European destinations, including Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Stockholm. The Irish airline puts its flight code on Etihad Airways’ flights to destinations such as Bahrain, Kuala Lumpur, London and Sydney.

Customers flying to the US via Dublin can also benefit from the ability to pre-clear US customs and border protection in Dublin, which means travellers can arrive in the US as domestic passengers, saving time at immigration.