Qatar Airways to join oneworld alliance after all, announcement Monday

After months of speculation and global intrigue, Qatar Airways will become the first Gulf carrier to join the oneworld alliance of airlines…The sources said Qatar Airways’ membership of the alliance, which includes IAG’s British Airways and American Airlines, will be announced at a press conference in New York on Monday.

FT: The move is a coup for oneworld and underlines how the Gulf carriers may no longer be viewed with hostility by western airlines. The state-controlled Gulf airlines have alarmed some EU and US airlines by their rapid expansion over the past 20 years.

Last month, Dubai-based Emirates announced a partnership with Qantas, the Australian carrier that is also a member of oneworld, but has insisted that it has no wish to join a broad airline alliance, saying it wants to control its own destiny.