Qatar Airways denies oneworld reports
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Qatar Airways has denied reports it is planning to join the oneworld alliance.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Routes event in Abu Dhabi, Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al Baker dismissed the reports – carried in aviation trade press recently – as “all rumours”.
“No, we will not [join oneworld],” Al Baker was quoted saying. Tweets from the airline itself from Al Baker’s speech in Qatar today added “We are not, at the moment, considering joining an alliance”.
The world’s airline alliances – oneworld, Star and SkyTeam – have grown strongly in recent years, allowing carriers to cost-effectively extend their reach far beyond their home markets. The major Gulf carriers such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways however, have not joined, partly as their central global location allows them to expand using their own fast-growing fleets.
