Qatar Airways And Indigo Sign Code-Share Agreement

While Qatar Airways, a name synonymous with world-class flying, has rightfully earned its title as the &lsquoworld leader in travel&rsquo aviation,the Indian low cost carrier Indigo on the other hand is the largest domestic airline and is well known for its seamless experience. Well, in a not so surprising turn of events, both these highly rated airlines have come together for a strategic business partnership.

Indigo recently signed a one-way codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways. This will allow the Gulf-based carrier to place a code on Indigo flights between Doha and Delhi and Mumbai and Hyderabad.The new alliance will not only increase traffic from the Indian market to the Gulf network but will also be in line with Indigo&rsquos plans for international expansion.This will be the second code share agreement for the domestic carrier after Turkish airlines.

Qatar Airways had shown interest in investing in Indigo in the past as well, but the domestic airline had resisted. As reported by Livemint, Qatar Airways has been looking to expand in the Indian market, yet the plans to start a new carrier were never implemented due to rules surrounding foreign ownership. Alternatively, the Gulf based airlines has asked the authorities to allow it to add more seats on busy routes and fill the gap left by Jet Air. In an interview in August,CEO Akbar Al Baker said, &ldquo We are very interested in Indigo. We are talking to Indigo of doing codeshare, joint flights but not yet an equity stake in the airline.&rdquo

As stated by Indigo CEO, Ronojoy Dutta, the partnership will boost economic growth and bring in more opportunities for travel and tourism through seamless mobility.  

Currently, Qatar Airways operates 102 weekly flights between Doha to 13 Indian destinations and the cargo division operates 28 weekly freighters to 7 Indian destinations. This agreement between the &lsquoWorld&rsquos Best Airline&rsquo and the &lsquoBest Low Cost Airline in India&rsquo is expected to be the first step towards strengthening cooperation between the two carriers.