Qatar Airways today revealed that it would expand its codeshare agreement with nearby Oman Air. The codeshare, first signed in 2000, will be strengthened with additional destinations as we move into 2021.
Codeshares are great tools for airlines and passengers. It allows airlines to access an additional demographic of travelers who may not otherwise choose to fly with them. For passengers, the benefits are even more significant. This opens a more diverse network of destinations that can be reached on a single flight booking, even if the booking airline doesn't even fly there.
Through its transatlantic joint venture codeshare, British Airways connects over 160 cities in Europe with over 240 cities in the US. Aer Lingus was recently granted permission to join this venture, meaning that this number will likely expand in the future.
Strengthening the partnership
As mentioned above, Qatar Airways has been partnering with Oman Air for over 20 years since 2000. As things stand, Oman Air passengers can currently access three destinations operated by Qatar Airways. This is set to get a massive boost.
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From 2021 onwards, Qatar Airways will begin flying Oman Air passengers to 65 destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. The relationship will work in both directions, with Qatar Airways passengers getting access to six more destinations flown to by Oman Air.
Of course, the codeshare is still subject to regulatory approval, so the exact number of new destinations could vary slightly. This won't be the end of the story, though. Both airlines said that they would continue to look at how to improve further and optimize their relationship.
Commenting on the enhanced relationship, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said,
"Now more than ever, it is important to strengthen strategic partnerships across the industry to optimise our operations and provide seamless connectivity to hundreds of destinations across the globe for our passengers."
Whose passengers will benefit most?
Qatar and Oman are almost neighbors, only separated geographically by the United Arab Emirates. According to flight schedules, the non-stop flight time between Doha and Muscat is one and a half hours. As such, Oman Air's benefiting customers will only be a short hop away from Qatar Airways' global network spanning from North America to New Zealand.
While passengers from both airlines will benefit from the new agreement, it is clear from the numbers alone that Oman Air passengers will benefit the most with access to 65 new destinations across the world. Although some Qatar Airways passengers will benefit from the new Oman Air connections, it likely won't be as many.
Would you find the new Qatar Airways Oman Air codeshare improvements beneficial? Let us know what you think and why in the comments.