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Home » Articles » Iberia Joins British Airways and Qatar Airways to Expand the World’s Largest Airline Joint Business

AIRLINES & ALLIANCES
Iberia Joins British Airways and Qatar Airways to Expand the World’s Largest Airline Joint Business

by GLO
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Global travellers can now enjoy worldwide connectivity via Doha, London, and Madrid with increased Avios benefits.

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Qatar Airways, British Airways, and Iberia, the national carriers of Qatar, the United Kingdom, and Spain are joining forces. Together, Qatar Airways and British Airways already operate the world’s largest airline joint business covering more than 60 countries. Beginning in July, Iberia is joining the partnership in a move that will transform connectivity for global travellers.

As a result of the joint business, Iberia will add a new daily service from its hub, Madrid Barajas International Airport, flights to Hamad International Airport (voted Best Airport in the Middle East for the 9th consecutive year by Skytrax), starting 11 December 2023. Passengers will be able to connect to more than 200 destinations through the three global airlines. Together, Iberia’s and Qatar Airways’ expanded service will operate three times daily on the route, providing unrivalled connectivity between the Iberian Peninsula and key markets in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
 
Iberia will operate the Airbus A330-200, with 288 seats in Business and Economy cabins. The partnership’s expansion provides customers with more options than ever from a wide geographic range of destinations, flight schedules, fares, and seamless connectivity via Doha, London, and Madrid, as well as a larger selection of award-winning products, including Qatar Airways’ Qsuite, Iberia’s Business Class, and British Airways’ Club Suite. 
 
Whether for leisure or business, travellers from Spain and Portugal will be able to connect to a fantastic range of new destinations. Relaxing in the Maldives and Seychelles, adventuring in Tanzania and Nepal, cultural holidays in India and Oman, shopping in Singapore and Thailand, or visiting friends and family in Australia and Hong Kong, all become more reachable with more choices than ever.
Furthermore, customers from across the Middle-East, Africa, Asia, and Australia can enjoy seamless travel to Madrid, Lisbon, Ibiza, Malaga, Gran Canaria, and tens of other destinations across Spain and Portugal.
 
Marking a world first, members of British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club can collect and spend using their common currency, Avios. Loyalty members are able to transfer Avios between accounts and combine their balances to claim rewards offered by each programme.
 
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “At Qatar Airways, we believe in connecting travellers to their destinations of choice and our recent enhancement to the highly successful joint business with British Airways, includes the addition of another oneworld member, Iberia. Our passengers will now have more opportunities than ever to connect to different destinations across the British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways’ networks. This collaborative effort comes as part of our commitment to continuously improve the offerings available to our passengers and provide them with the best in the industry.”
 
British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, Sean Doyle, said: “Last year we expanded our joint business partnership with Qatar Airways with the addition of 42 countries, and I’m so pleased to see it growing even further as we welcome Iberia on board. We’re committed to offering our customers as much choice as possible, and working so closely with our partners in Madrid and Doha connects British Airways to more than 200 destinations globally.”
 
Iberia CEO, Fernando Candela, commented: “Joining the QJB with Qatar Airways and British Airways is excellent news for our customers. We are really excited about the launch of our Madrid-Doha route. Through QJB hubs in London and Doha, we are building the much-desired bridge between Spain and more than 200 destinations in Asia, Australasia, the Middle-East, and Africa, and offering new opportunities for travelers in both directions. Our country is moving towards a new model of higher-quality tourism and, with the Madrid-Doha launching, we are making a breakthrough.”
 

About British Airways

As a global airline and the UK’s flag carrier, British Airways has been flying its customers to where they need to be for more than 100 years. The airline connects Britain with the world and the world with Britain, operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks together with its joint business, codeshare and franchise partners.
In September 2021, British Airways launched its sustainability programme, BA Better World, committing to put sustainability at the heart of everything it does and with a clear roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. British Airways is a founding member of the airline alliance oneworld, which serves around 1,000 destinations across the globe.
 
British Airways flies to destinations in more than 65 countries. Its principal place of business is London, with its main home at Heathrow Terminal 5.
 

About Iberia

Iberia has been flying from Spain for more than 96 years, with the purpose of generating prosperity, connecting people with the world. It is part of International Airline Group (IAG), the first airline group worldwide to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and to powering 10 per cent of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.

Iberia is the leading airline between Europe and Latin America, was one of the first members of oneworld, and alongside Iberia Express and Iberia Regional Air Nostrum, offers flights to fifty countries from Madrid airport, where it has developed its hub.

 

About Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the ‘World’s Best Business Class’ for the tenth time at the 2023 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, also taking home, Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class Lounge and World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining at the prestigious awards held during the 2023 Paris Air Show. Qatar Airways is an unprecedented seven-time winner of the “World’s Best Airline” voted by Skytrax (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022).

Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 160 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as the ‘World’s Best Airport’ in 2021 and 2022 consecutively. This year, Hamad International Airport has been ranked by Skytrax as the second-best airport in the world, and received the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ accolade for the ninth time in a row, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’.

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