American Airlines Renews Codeshare with Qatar Airways
by Daine Taylor /American Airlines is renewing its codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, calling the move a “first step” in building a strategic partnership between the airlines. Photo: American Airlines
American Airlines announced that it is renewing its codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, the state-owned flag carrier of Qatar. American calls the renewed alliance a “first step” in building a strategic partnership between the airlines that will increase commercial cooperation, bolster connectivity, and create new travel options for customers.
“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 Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of American Airlines.
“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.”
The returning codeshare agreement will bolster the services of both carriers, expanding flight options and encouraging long-haul growth for both airlines. American’s customers will gain access to new destinations in the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia and South East Asia, which aren’t currently served by American. The carrier is also looking into providing service from the United States to Doha, the capital of Qatar.
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.
“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, at American Airlines. “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.”
