The new codeshare will be effective December 15, 2020 and will provide seamless connections to and from Doha via Toronto. The agreement reinforces Qatar Airways’ long-term commitment to Canadian passengers in support of the recovery in tourism and trade.
On Wednesday (November 18, 2020), Qatar Airways announced the signing of a new codeshare agreement with Air Canada. The agreement will enhance travel between the two countries with seamless one-stop connections to and from Toronto via Doha. The codeshare reinforces Qatar Airways’ long-term commitment to Canadian passengers and will enhance Canada’s global connectivity in support of the recovery of trade and tourism. Qatar Airways’ guests will now enjoy convenient connections to and from Toronto via Hamad International Airport in Doha, while Air Canada’s customers will benefit from onward connections to over 75 destinations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East on Qatar Airways’ global network. In Wednesday’s announcement, Qatar Airways Group’s Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said,
“We are delighted to secure this strategic codeshare agreement with Air Canada to provide our travellers with a seamless journey to and from Toronto with excellence in state-of-the-art and sustainable aircraft, safety, comfort and onboard service. The agreement will increase choices for thousands of passengers and allows for smooth connectivity to a significant number of new destinations – particularly throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East. By harnessing our complementary strengths, this agreement will also provide benefits to aid the recovery of international travel.”
Qatar Airways has served Canada since June 2011 with three weekly flights to Montreal, increasing to four weekly flights from December 2018. Throughout the pandemic, the carrier has worked closely with the Government of Canada and their embassies throughout the world, temporarily operating three weekly repatriation flights to Toronto as well as charter flights to Vancouver. Qatar Airways has brought over 40,000 Canadians home since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Qatar Airways is the national carrier of the state of Qatar and currently operates over 700 weekly flights to more than 100 destinations, providing more flexible travel options to more global destinations than any other airline. The carrier was named the ‘World’s Best Airline’ in the 2019 World Airline Awards managed by Skytrax as well as the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ ‘World’s Best Business Class.’ Qatar Airways has also been awarded the title for ‘Best Business Class Seat’ in recognition of their ground-breaking Qsuite product which offers a spacious 1-2-1 seat layout, complete privacy and social distancing. Additionally, the airline is the only carrier to have ever received the prestigious “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title five times. Qatar Airways normally serves over 170 global destinations with a fleet of more than 250 modern aircraft. The airline’s primary hub is located at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar.
Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline, serving over 51 million guests in 2019. The Canadian flag carrier is a founding member of the Star Alliance and the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax, who also named the carrier ‘2019 Best Airline in North America.’
Source(s): Qatar Airways, Air Canada