It’s official: Qatar Airways joins Oneworld Alliance

It is finally official, after few weeks of speculation, leaks and denials: Qatar Airways has landed big, and is joining Oneworld alliance. The announcement was made in couple of tweets earlier today and an official press release. 
Details:

• It is the second largest full service airline in the world not, until today, aligned to one of big global airline alliances.
• The Doha-based airline’s implementation into oneworld is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.
• The carrier is set to move into a brand new home in 2013 with the opening of the New Doha International Airport, positioned as a premium global hub with an eventual capacity for 50 million passengers a year.
• British Airways will serve as its sponsor in joining oneworld, supported by the central oneworld alliance team, mentoring the recruit through its alliance implementation programme.
• Qatar will be oneworld’s second member airline based in the Middle East, alongside Royal Jordanian, which became the first airline from the region to join any of the global alliances when it boarded oneworld in 2007.
• Fifteen of its destinations and three countries – Iran, Rwanda and the Seychelles – will be new to the oneworld map.
• Qatar Airways’ network serves 120 destinations in 70 countries in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Australasia, including oneworld hubs Amman, Berlin Tegel, Buenos Aires Ezeiza, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Madrid, Melbourne, Moscow Domodedovo, New York JFK, Osaka Kansai, Sydney, Tokyo Narita, and the Kuala Lumpur home of oneworld member elect Malaysia Airlines.
• Its addition will increase oneworld’s global coverage to 856 destinations in 159 countries, served by a combined fleet of 2,600 aircraft operating more than 9,300 flights and carrying almost a million passengers every day (342 million a year), generating annual revenues of nearly US$ 120 billion.

We are pleased to announce @QatarAirways will join #OneWorld, making the world an even smaller place! #QatarOneWorld pic.twitter.com/ZyqIkcNl

— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) October 8, 2012

Hello World. @QatarAirways is pleased to join #OneWorld!. For all related news & questions, use the OFFICIAL HASHTAG #QatarOneWorld.

— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) October 8, 2012

#Travelling to USA will get even easier, as @QatarAirways joins #OneWorld Alliance with @AmericanAir at hubs JFK & ORD. #QatarOneWorld

— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) October 8, 2012