Through the Hamad International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, their respective airlines will offer unmatched connectivity across their global networks.
Qatar Airways (QA) and Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) have announced a new stage in their long-established relationship upon signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on further facilitating strategic partnership across various sectors, including a range of value-added services to passengers.
The cooperation allows both airlines to maximise their network strengths to offer extensive access to new travel destinations for passengers. This aims beyond their immediate individual networks. The will also provide their customers with “new and exclusive products,” according to a QA.
Through the network extension, QA travellers will be able to cover domestic Malaysian markets as well as major destinations in Asia including, Penang, Langkawi and Medan, Indonesia operated by Malaysia Airlines via its hub, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Travellers will also have the opportunity to experience a “seamless” outreach to popular destinations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas through QA’s extensive network via Doha.
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Aside from the strengthened links between QA and Malaysia Airlines’ networks and the rapid expansion of “codeshare flights,” the two partners have also agreed to optimise synergies in other areas of the business such as “air cargo, operations or commercial services, that will create a game-changing innovative synergy for both carriers in leading the new travel demand ahead,” QA added.
A codeshare agreement is a commercial arrangement between two airlines whereby one sells seats on a flight operated by the other, with each airline using their own flight numbers.
QA Group’s Chief Executive, Akbar Al-Baker, said “this is a significant moment for us as we have just celebrated 20 years of serving Malaysia, and this new strategic cooperation with our oneworld partner, Malaysia Airlines, further cements our commitment to the country.”
Oneworld Alliance is considered one of the world’s three largest global airline alliances which see the participation of 14 different world-class airlines.
“This partnership will serve to link both our networks and allow us to work together across different aspects of the business therefore creating exciting opportunities for our joint passengers, as well as for our airlines,” he added.
He explained that such a “symbiotic international partnership” can lead to industry recovery, amid a gradual advancement towards a post-pandemic world.
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Chief Executive Officer of MAB, Izham Ismail, commenting on the cooperation said that it would “put both full-service carriers on a stronger footing to compete in the highly competitive market as we continue to navigate recovery of the pandemic. With the reopening of international borders and an increase in the demand for air travel.”
QA and Malaysia Airlines first launched their codeshare cooperation in 2004 and have worked hard to widen the horizons in their partnership in recent years. Today their network stands at 62 codeshare destinations in Malaysia, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
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