The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani with Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways, and other officials after the unveiling of Qatar Airways plane Oneworld at Hamad International Airport yesterday. Abdul Basit
DOHA: Qatar Airways yesterday joined ‘Oneworld’, an alliance of international airlines.
It has become the first Gulf carrier to join a global airlines alliance.
Its entry into ‘Oneworld’ was marked at a ceremony at Hamad International Airport, presided over by the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The function was attended by the Minister of Energy and Industry, H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, the Minister of Finance H E Ali Sherif Al Emadi, Qatar Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Ghanim bin Shaheen Al Ghanim and other senior officials.
Addressing a press briefing after the ceremony, Qatar Airways Akbar Al Baker said that most airlines in the world will have to join an alliance eventually.
“For the last several years, I have always mentioned that alliances are where airlines will have to go. We are a young airline and I said we will wait and choose the best alliance and choose the alliance to which we will add the best value.
“We are ready to cater to Oneworld alliance passengers in this fine network. In the next three years, we will have the upcoming phase of the airport ready.”
The British Airlines and Royal Jordanian, two of the Oneworld members already have stopovers in Doha. Qatar Airways, which is the launch customer for Airbus’ A350, expects the European planemaker to start delivering the aircraft by the second half of next year and plans to order more planes next month. It has ordered 80 A350 jets.
“We are confident that Airbus will deliver the A350 by the second half of 2014,” Al Baker said, adding the airline also expected to receive Airbus A-380 by April next year.
The airline would place another plane order during the Dubai Airshow next month, billed as one of the largest industry events in the region. “I won’t tell you what the order is, but there will be one,” he said.
Qatar Airways is among several major carriers being courted by Boeing as it finalises plans for a larger version of its profitable 777 wide-body jet, which is expected to be launched at the Dubai Airshow.
Al Baker said the airline was not interested in ordering the 777X wide-body jets. The Peninsula
