Wayfarer TV: American, Qatar Airways renew codeshare agreement in landmark deal
The premium carriers say this is the first step in “building a strategic partnership between the airlines that will increase commercial cooperation, bolster connectivity and create new travel options for customers”.
Following restoration of the codeshare, American says it will also begin exploring the addition of service from the United States to Doha, Qatar.
“Our goal is to continue to expand and deepen our global partnerships to complement American’s network and create more choice for our customers,” said American’s Chairman and CEO, Doug Parker.
“The issues that led to the suspension of our partnership two years ago have been addressed, and we believe resuming our codeshare agreement will allow us to provide service to markets that our customers, team members and shareholders value, including new growth opportunities for American Airlines.
“We look forward to the renewed cooperation between our airlines and hope to build an even stronger relationship with Qatar Airways over time,” he said.
Pending government approvals, American will place its code on select Qatar Airways nonstop and connecting services to and from the U.S. and Qatar Airways’ hub in Doha, allowing American’s customers to access new destinations in the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia and South East Asia that are not currently served by American.
Qatar Airways will place its code on select flights beyond American’s hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Chicago (ORD), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), Miami (MIA) and Los Angeles (LAX), as well as on American’s international flights to and from Europe, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are very pleased to secure this strategic partnership with American Airlines – an agreement between two successful and ambitious airlines with a shared common purpose to enhance the customer experience.
“The deal will bring together two of the world’s largest airline networks, increasing choices for millions of passengers and providing seamless connectivity to a significant number of new destinations, in line with Qatar Airways’ successful growth strategy.
“We have moved on from past issues and look forward to working closely with American Airlines to build a world-leading partnership for all our customers.
“This agreement will harness our complementary strengths and resources and enable more customers to experience Qatar Airways’ award-winning product quality,” he said.
In addition to American exploring the addition of service from the United States to Doha, both airlines say they will discuss new ways to further their partnership through expanded commercial cooperation that will enable long-haul growth for both airlines.
“This partnership with Qatar is another step to increase our connectivity, while providing more choice and making travel easier and more accessible for our customers,” said Vasu Raja, Senior Vice President of Network Strategy for American.
“As we look to build out a truly global network and create a strong presence in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the renewed codeshare with Qatar Airways will be one of the cornerstones of making that a reality.”