British Airways and Qatar Airways shared that they intend to extend their joint business partnership. Amid the announcement, the two flag carriers of their respective countries proudly highlighted that they will perform up to six flights a day to Doha from London Heathrow and London Gatwick this winter. <\/p>\n
Plenty on offer<\/strong><\/p>\n Both airlines have formed strong connections over the years, especially since Qatar Airways<\/a> joined oneworld<\/a> in October 2013, an alliance British Airways is a founding member of. The carriers promote attractive fares, smoother connections, integrated booking platforms, joint customer support, and an extensive network as benefits of the agreements between each other.<\/p>\n Now, British Airways and Qatar Airways propose to expand the partnership and give their passengers greater access between Europe and the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. Those flying to destinations such as Nairobi, Colombo, Singapore, Sydney are set to benefit from the move. Moreover, passengers flying to and from popular European cities, including Amsterdam, Madrid, and Dublin, are expected to notice advantages.<\/p>\n Executive agreements<\/strong><\/p>\n Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker shared the following about the partnership in a company statement: <\/p>\n \u201cExpanding our Joint Business with our strategic airline partner, British Airways, is an important milestone in our ambition of providing customers access to the most extensive route network and unrivalled product.\u201d <\/p>\n Meanwhile, BA chairman and CEO Sean Doyle added:<\/p>\n \u201cThe launch of our first flight from Gatwick to Doha was an important milestone in our existing joint business with Qatar Airways. The proposed expansion of the joint business will be great news for customers, offering them access to more destinations across the world with seamless connections. We know customers are always looking for more options to connect onto popular holiday hotspots such as the Maldives and Seychelles, and this expansion will allow them to do just that.\u201d<\/p>\n A colorful relationship<\/strong><\/p>\n Altogether, this announcement comes on the back of British Airways returning its daily operation to Doha. The first service since the relaunch was Flight BA2033\u2019s December 9th takeoff, which saw a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER depart for the capital of Qatar from Gatwick.<\/p>\n Despite the close relationship between the two carriers, their leaders haven\u2019t always had kind words for each other\u2019s services. For instance, in April this year, Al Baker likened BA to a low-cost carrier<\/a> and dubbed it \u201ca two out of ten airline\u201d amid his disappointment of the operator in recent times. Nonetheless, Al Baker expressed his optimism for the British outfit under the leadership of Doyle, sharing that he hopes that the company can get its glitter back.<\/p>\n At the beginning of last year, the two airlines applied to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)\u00a0to coordinate nine major routes between the UK and down under via Doha. This move hoped to open up new promising opportunities for British Airways before the global health crisis took its toll on Australian operations. Amid the extension of the joint business partnership, we could see plenty more promising avenues such as this in the next chapter of global aviation.<\/p>\n