Adria Airways and Adria Airways Switzerland, which recently purchased a majority stake in Lugano-based Darwin Airline, are exploring mutual synergies and efficiencies, as well as enhanced network choice and services. The Adria-appointed CEO of Darwin Airline, Heinrich Ollendiek, told the "Corriere del Ticino" that, "Darwin is much more than a company just offering flights between Lugano and Geneva. We have a very strong ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance lease) business and a competent team. We want to utilise Adria's operational network and strengthen the ACMI business. We also want to optimise the flight network between Adria and Darwin", He added, "We want to develop and expand Lugano Airport's potential, but our operations will not be limited to Lugano", he added.

Darwin Airline, currently branded as Etihad Regional, will take on its new name - Adria Airways Switzerland - in the coming weeks. Asked whether the carrier could launch services between Lugano and Ljubljana, the CEO said, "We will launch flights only if they are economically viable. If Lugano - Ljubljana makes economic sense, we will, otherwise, we won't". Mr Ollendiek recently noted that the Slovenian carrier will be a much better “fit” with the Swiss regional airline than its previous equity partner, Etihad Airways. "It will be a much better relationship. Darwin will be integrated into Adria Airways and will, in the future, fly under the title of Adria Airways Switzerland. Both companies will derive mutual benefit from the deal, more than Etihad could ever have dreamed of, because they’re a similar size", he said.

Adria Airways Switzerland is looking to cooperate with the Slovenian carrier's fellow Star Alliance member Swiss International Air Lines. "We are interested in domestic flights and we have a lot of respect for Swiss. It is a strong company and we see the potential for us to develop our offering from the Canton of Ticino and Switzerland with them", Mr Ollendiek said. Recently, Swiss told EX-YU Aviation News it was monitoring Adria's takeover of Darwin "with great interest". "While we do not comment on other market player's business, Swiss works closely together with Adria Airways as our current wet-lease partner", a spokesperson said. Darwin boasts a fleet of ten regional turboprops, half of which are on wet-lease with Alitalia. The arrangement will come to an end next month when the aircraft will return to Lugano.