Qatar Airlines has become the latest Middle East carrier to
announce its plans to join the OneWorld Alliance. This announcement comes close
on the heels of the Etihad also joining the OneWorld Alliance grouping and
after a month of Emirates going to the fold of the SkyTeam Alliance. The
Middle-East region is fast becoming a strong hub of airline operations as the
crucial connectivity is provided by these airliners to the passengers from Asia
to the destinations in Europe and USA using the long haul fleet of aircraft. In
fact, the airlines of the region have been the game changers in providing flight tickets to USA and Europe by making Middle East hub of their activities,
reducing the importance of the traditional European hubs. Qatar Airlines
already has a pact with the Malaysian Airlines and it needs to have more pacts
with the other members of the alliance before is formally joins to grouping.
These three instances indicate that the old players of world
aviation, who had once rued the emergence of gulf carriers as prominent
players, are now coming around to the reality of these carriers being here to
remain for a long time and the shedding of inhibitions related to them. What
the customers get in return is the international flights to newer destinations,
privileges and benefits associated with the frequent flier programs on a much
wider numbers of airlines, coordinated schedules and common access to airport lounges.
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