After British Airways, it is now the turn of another member of the IAG group to form a direct alliance with Qatar Airways, giving new substance to the oneworld network which welcomed the Qatari carrier last year. Since September 1, an interline agreement has linked Vueling to Qatar Airways, with the aim of strengthening the low-cost carrier's already solid positions in Rome and especially Barcelona - where it already has a market share of 38% - while feeding Qatar Airways' global long-haul network. Present in Spain since 2005, the Qatari carrier already operates ten weekly flights to Barcelona, in addition to the seven rotations to Madrid, while linking Rome and Milan twice a day. "Over the past five years, Vueling has been a driving force behind the growth of El Prat Airport, and this agreement now offers Qatar and Vueling the opportunity to further enhance the Fiumicino network," says Álex Cruz, Chairman of Vueling. This first partnership between the two carriers could well be followed by others initiated by Qatar Airways in Europe: "This agreement is a first step in [our desire] to offer our customers a simplified route to and from Europe via Rome-Fiumicino and El Prat" warns Akbar Al Baker, CEO of the airline.
