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Qatar

Qatar Airways and Iberia expand codeshare partnership to Latin America, Middle East and Asia

Published: 20 Mar 2018 - 08:06 pm | Last Updated: 02 Nov 2021 - 07:05 pm
Peninsula

The Peninsula

Doha: Qatar Airways has expanded codeshare partnership with Iberia, offering Iberia customers increased connectivity to destinations across the Middle East and Asia, as well as providing enhanced accessibility for Qatar Airways passengers to key destinations across Latin America, including Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and Panama.

Further strengthening the airlines codeshare partnership and enhancing both carriers oneworld relationship, the new codeshare destinations will go into effect starting next month. The Qatar Airways' code (QR) will be applied to routes operated by Iberia from Madrid to Panama City, Panama; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Bogota Medellin (MDE), Colombia; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Santo Domingo; Dominican Republic. Qatar Airways currently offers double daily flights from Doha direct to Madrid. From July, this will increase to 17 times weekly, Qatar Airways said in a press release.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said that expanding the codeshare partnership with Iberia was a natural progression based on customers mutual desire for additional destinations across both networks, as well as the two carriers' membership in the oneworld alliance.

"Latin America is a key area of growth for us, and we are delighted to be able to provide access to these new, fast-growing cities for our valued passengers from Qatar, the wider Middle East, South Asia and beyond with seamless connectivity," Al Baker added.

For his part, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Iberia Luis Gallego, said: "We are very happy to announce this expanded codeshare agreement with our oneworld partner, Qatar Airways. With these additional routes, we will be able to provide our customers with greater access to the Middle East and Asia, offering even more choice to both business and leisure travellers".

Iberia is the leading carrier on routes between Europe and Latin America. Together with its subsidiary Iberia Express and its franchise partner Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum, it operates 600 daily flights to 131 destinations in 48 countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Middle East and Asia with a fleet of some 135 aircraft.