Qatar Airways has today formally joined Oneworld,
becoming the first of the major Gulf carriers to join one of the global
alliances.
The Doha-based carrier joins after
just a one-year accession period and becomes the alliance's 13th member. It is
the second Middle Eastern member of Oneworld, alongside Royal Jordanian Airlines.
"We are convinced the time is
right clearly right...and Oneworld is clearly the best alliance," said
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker during a joining ceremony at Doha's new Hamad International airport on 29
October.
"Alliances are playing an
increasingly important role in the airline industry today, and that will
continue long into the future. Becoming a member of Oneworld is one of the
significant landmarks in Qatar Airways' history," he adds.
Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG
- parent of Qatar's Oneworld sponsor British Airways - gave a resounding welcome to
the carrier, notable given the historic reluctance of many European carriers
towards accepting the Gulf giants.
"We have embraced [Gulf
carriers] and they have demonstrated they have a significant role to
play," says Walsh. "I've been a fan of what [Al Baker] has achieved
here.
"We would not be here today if
we did not believe it was a significant and positive development. In fact I
believe it is one of the most significant and positive developments for
Oneworld in a long time."
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