LONDON – Qatar Airways & American Airlines have today announced an expansion of their codesharing arrangements to 16 additional countries.
The New Connections…
Pending government approval, travelers will be able to book travel beyond Qatar to their final destinations in:
- Ethiopia
- Indonesia
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Such an expansion was made as a result of American launching a brand new service to Doha tomorrow from New York’s JFK Airport.
Executive Comments…
Commenting on the news was Qatar Airways’ GCEO, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker:
“Qatar Airways is pleased to extend our codeshare partnership with American Airlines, as yet another step in renewing our long-term
strategic partnership with the airline.
“The expansion of our codeshare agreement is a testament to our joint confidence in the future of aviation, and our shared mission of enhancing the customer experience for millions of passengers worldwide.”
“We are thrilled to build on our relationship with our fellow oneworld partner to provide passengers with the reliable, safe, and award-winning service that they have come to know and expect from Qatar Airways.”
Also commenting on the news was Robert Isom, American Airlines’ CEO:
“Our global partnerships expand upon American’s comprehensive network, providing access to numerous destinations for our customers who are ready to travel around the world”.
“We’re excited to deepen our strategic alliance with Qatar Airways alongside the launch of our new service between New York and Doha, giving American’s customers more choices and convenient access to the Middle East and beyond.”
Qatar Airways Continues Down The Partnership Route…
The Qatari flag carrier has been continuing its route down the partnership road, especially in the last few weeks.
Around two weeks ago, the airline signed a codesharing arrangement with Malaysia Airlines which added 34 airports to the existing 62 codesharing destinations between the two sides.
Then, around three weeks ago, the airline then signed another deal of this kind with Virgin Australia, which comes hand in hand with Australia opening up for travel and the airline’s plans to grow over there.
With Pakistan being on that list of codesharing connectivity, that doesn’t come as a surprise, especially with the airline announcing plans to launch services into Multan.
That, on top of its international expansion for Summer 2022, highlights exactly why Qatar Airways needs to sign deals like this.
Overall…
What remains clear is that Qatar Airways is definitely setting itself up for success, especially on the partnership route, as interconnectivity is going to be vital this Summer.
Being as connected to the globe as possible will no doubt remain a key priority for the airline, especially ahead of the FIFA World Cup being hosted in Doha this Winter.
With the Qatari airline ramping up plans for as many increased frequencies as it can manage ahead of the football tournament, all eyes are going to be on the airline, especially with them being a significant brand ambassador for the sport.
Either way, Qatar Airways’ strategy is definitely one that is going in the right direction.
