Qatar Airways and Vueling have signed an interline agreement that will enable Qatar’s national airline to increase the number of passengers to Europe, while strengthening Vueling’s hubs in Rome and Barcelona.
The agreement, which came into effect on September 1, will also improve trans-European traffic by providing passengers with an even greater range of options for long-haul connections, according to a statement issued yesterday.
Barcelona’s El Prat Airport is Vueling’s main hub, where the company holds a 38% market share, and from which the airline offers direct flights to 121 destinations and up to 11,000 connections across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Additionally, Vueling currently offers 40 direct routes from Fiumicino Airport in Rome, the company’s second operational hub, as well as 850 possible connections to destinations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
This agreement follows the codeshare set up with British Airways, a fellow member of oneworld along with Qatar Airways, in June.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker said, “This agreement with Vueling is the first step in offering our clients seamless access to and from Europe via Rome-Fiumicino and El Prat. Both airlines, as well as the teams at Fiumicino and El Prat, will work towards providing the best possible travel experience for all our passengers.”
“Over the last five years, Vueling has been the engine of growth at El Prat Airport and now this new agreement will give us, Qatar and Vueling, the opportunity to further improve Fiumicino’s network,” said Álex Cruz, president of Vueling. “Both airports will increase their ranking and become more competitive across Europe and the world.”
