#AIRITALY AND #QATARAIRWAYS SIGN MAJOR CODESHARE DEAL
(Posted 18th April 2018)
(Air Italy’s new livery on a Boeing B737MAX)
Qatar Airways has just announced a new codeshare agreement with Air Italy, starting 24th of April. The new agreement provides codeshares on Air Italy’s routes between Milan-Malpensa Airport and six domestic cities across Italy, including Catania (CTA), Rome (FCO), Naples (NAP), Olbia (OLB), Palermo (PMO) and Calabria (SUF). The agreement also consists of Air Italy’s route between Rome Fiumicino Airport and Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB).
Qatar Airways first began flying to Italy in 2002 with a service from Doha to Milan. A year later, the airline launched direct service to Rome. In 2011, the award-winning airline started operating to Venice, and in 2016, Qatar Airways further strengthened its commitment to the country with a daily service to Pisa.
Since adding its fourth Italian destination, Qatar Airways has been operating 42 weekly flights from its home and hub in Doha, Hamad International Airport, to Italy. From 24th of April Air Italy will also offer codeshare flights on all of Qatar Airways’ Italy to Doha services along with two further routes on the Qatar Airways network to Singapore and Male.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are pleased to be announcing this codeshare with the newly-launched Air Italy. The new agreement will provide seamless connectivity for Qatar Airways passengers arriving at our Italian gateways, onto further domestic destinations, enabling them to explore this beautiful country. This codeshare between Qatar Airways and Air Italy demonstrates the strengthening ties between Italy and Qatar; two countries that share many economic affiliations.”
In 2017, Qatar Airways acquired 49 per cent of AQA Holding, the new parent company of Air Italy. Italy’s long established privately owned airline was previously known as Meridiana, however, in February this year, the airline announced a new phase of growth and development, starting with its brand new identity and livery as Air Italy. The new airline will introduce up to 50 aircraft by 2022, and has already committed to receiving and initial 20 brand new Boeing 737-MAX8 aircraft type, starting this month.
Named 2017 Airline of the Year by Skytrax, the national carrier of the State of Qatar is one of the fastest-growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. In 2018/2019, Qatar Airways will be adding many more exciting destinations to its network, including London Gatwick and Cardiff, United Kingdom; Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum and Antalya, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece and Málaga, Spain.
In a related development does Qatar Airways Cargo currently offer global customers belly-hold cargo capacity to and from the Italian cities of Milan, Rome, Venice and Pisa. The cargo carrier also operates five Boeing 777 freighters and two Airbus A330 freighters each week to the fashion capital, Milan, taking its combined cargo capacity to Italy to more than 1,100 tonnes each week.
Additionally, the twice weekly Boeing 777 freighter service on the Milan-Chicago-Milan route affirms Qatar’s rising position in the USA and Europe, providing high quality and reliable airfreight service between two key trading partners with 200 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity each way.
In Eastern Africa does Qatar Airways serve Entebbe and Kigali with daily flights, flies to Nairobi and the Tanzanian gateways of Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
