Qantas to form union with Qatar Airways
Neil Wilson From: Herald Sun July 04, 2012 5:10pm
Qantas could form a strategic alliance with Qatar Airways.
QATAR Airways is set to become the missing Qantas link to extra European destinations via the Middle East by forming a formal alliance with the flying kangaroo in the next year.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker confirmed in Perth today that the Doha-based airline will talk with Qantas senior executives next week on plans between the two airlines to form a strategic alliance.
He said the formal code sharing arrangement would mean ''joint flights'' with the QF Qantas flight code being carried by Qatar services with seamless transfers to Australian domestic services.
Mr Al Baker revealed that Qantas had been speaking with his airline ''for some time'' and the alliance would include Qatar's existing daily service into Melbourne and its new service to Perth, which was launched yesterday.
The news comes as Qantas last month suffered a share market shock when it announced an expected $450 million loss on international serbvices for the past financial year, expected to climb far beyond the $216 million loss in 2010-11.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce has sought to expand the international arm of Qantas into Asia through an attempt at a premium airline, which was put on ice by Qantas earlier this year.
It has also looked to extend its code sharing partnership with British Airways and Malaysian Airlines to give Qantas customers more options into continental Europe via Asia.
Qantas pulled out of a code sharing agreement with Etihad in 2010 but appears to have had a major change of heart about co-operating with Middle Eastern partners, with Emirates and Etihad sucking away a significant portion of Qantas economy passengers.
Mr Al Baker said a codeshare pact with Qantas would have twofold benefits, allowing the Australian flag carrier to expand its European network, while QR could increase its options into Australia.
''Most certainly we will have a partnership with Qantas,'' he said today.
''Qantas under Alan Joyce has taken a very positive attitude towards Qatar and Emirates and we hope that both our airlines will be able to work with Qantas closely going forward. We can only make ourselves stronger with this sort of partnership.''
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/busines...th-qatar-airways/story-fn7j19iv-1226417059948
Neil Wilson From: Herald Sun July 04, 2012 5:10pm
Qantas could form a strategic alliance with Qatar Airways.
QATAR Airways is set to become the missing Qantas link to extra European destinations via the Middle East by forming a formal alliance with the flying kangaroo in the next year.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker confirmed in Perth today that the Doha-based airline will talk with Qantas senior executives next week on plans between the two airlines to form a strategic alliance.
He said the formal code sharing arrangement would mean ''joint flights'' with the QF Qantas flight code being carried by Qatar services with seamless transfers to Australian domestic services.
Mr Al Baker revealed that Qantas had been speaking with his airline ''for some time'' and the alliance would include Qatar's existing daily service into Melbourne and its new service to Perth, which was launched yesterday.
The news comes as Qantas last month suffered a share market shock when it announced an expected $450 million loss on international serbvices for the past financial year, expected to climb far beyond the $216 million loss in 2010-11.
Qantas chief Alan Joyce has sought to expand the international arm of Qantas into Asia through an attempt at a premium airline, which was put on ice by Qantas earlier this year.
It has also looked to extend its code sharing partnership with British Airways and Malaysian Airlines to give Qantas customers more options into continental Europe via Asia.
Qantas pulled out of a code sharing agreement with Etihad in 2010 but appears to have had a major change of heart about co-operating with Middle Eastern partners, with Emirates and Etihad sucking away a significant portion of Qantas economy passengers.
Mr Al Baker said a codeshare pact with Qantas would have twofold benefits, allowing the Australian flag carrier to expand its European network, while QR could increase its options into Australia.
''Most certainly we will have a partnership with Qantas,'' he said today.
''Qantas under Alan Joyce has taken a very positive attitude towards Qatar and Emirates and we hope that both our airlines will be able to work with Qantas closely going forward. We can only make ourselves stronger with this sort of partnership.''
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/busines...th-qatar-airways/story-fn7j19iv-1226417059948
