Speaking at a press conference in Amsterdam, James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways; and Peter Hartman, President and Chief Executive Officer of KLM, also disclosed details of the expansion of the codeshare agreement between the two airlines. James Hogan said: "We are delighted that Amsterdam will become a part Etihad Airways' global network from 15 May. The Dutch capital joins a group of 17 leading European cities that Etihad Airways flies to including Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, London and Paris. "The double daily service between Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi will benefit passengers looking to travel from the Netherlands to Abu Dhabi and beyond to destinations like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia. "This is indicative of Abu Dhabi's growing importance as a global hub. In addition to Amsterdam, Etihad Airways will also launch flights to Sao Paulo, Washington D.C., and Ho Chi Minh City in 2013."