Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways Unveil Enhanced Strategic Partnership

Passengers will benefit from seamless connections and superior inflight service to 96 combined destinations around the world

KLIA, 17 May 2022: Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways unveil the roadmap outlining the next phase of their strategic partnership, following Malaysia Airlines’ announcement to launch a non-stop service from Kuala Lumpur to Doha from 25 May. The two partners will significantly expand their codeshare cooperation, allowing passengers to travel the world and enjoy seamless connectivity via their leading hubs in Kuala Lumpur and Doha.

The codeshare expansion, which adds 34 destinations to the existing 62 codeshare destinations, marks another milestone in the long-standing relationship between the two countries' national carriers and oneworld partners. The agreement benefits travellers from across the globe who will have access to a much greater combined network and enjoy a seamless travel experience on both airlines with a single ticket including check-in, boarding and baggage-check processes, frequent flyer benefits and world-class lounge access for the entire journey.

Starting 25 May 2022, customers flying on Malaysia Airlines’ new Kuala Lumpur to Doha service will have access to 62 codeshare destinations within Qatar Airways' broad network to the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. Likewise, Qatar Airways customers travelling from Doha to Kuala Lumpur can seamlessly transfer to 34 Malaysia Airlines’ destinations including their entire domestic network and key markets in Asia, such as Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Ho Chi Minh City, subject to governmental approval.

In linking both route networks, the partners are striving to develop Kuala Lumpur as a leading aviation hub in the Southeast Asia Region connecting Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand with the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Furthermore, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways will leverage synergies across multiple business areas and develop innovative products to benefit their customers worldwide.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airlines, Captain Izham Ismail, said: "We are excited to deepen our cooperation with our long-standing oneworld partner Qatar Airways to bring the world closer to our customers with more choices and flexibility, exceptional services and innovative products, while upholding highest operational safety, just as passengers begin to travel again following the reopening of borders.

As we move into the endemic phase, this strategic cooperation shows both carriers' commitment to offering an unrivalled range of value-added services to passengers and reflects the agility and resilience in facing the pandemic challenges. This partnership is opportune in our efforts to boost air traffic and expedite recovery to pre-pandemic levels, while also enhancing our global brand visibility."

Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We share a close and deep bond with Malaysia Airlines and welcome their new non-stop service between Kuala Lumpur and our home in Doha, Hamad International Airport. With this strategic partnership, we are committed to delivering greater choice and connectivity to our customers around the world. We are experiencing a new optimism in air travel and expect a strong rebound in global demand. With our dynamic partnership with Malaysia Airlines, we are aiming to provide unparalleled service and a superior travel experience for our customers.”

The enhanced cooperation will also include reciprocal loyalty benefits allowing Qatar Airways Privilege Club members to earn and redeem Avios points when flying on Malaysia Airlines, with similar benefits for Malaysia Airlines Enrich members when travelling on Qatar Airways’ services. Privilege Club and Enrich members will also enjoy a wide range of other unique benefits, depending on tier status, such as complimentary lounge access, complimentary extra baggage allowance, priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage delivery on Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways.

Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways’ strategic partnership evolved progressively beginning 2001 and have significantly expanded the collaborative partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2022 to leverage each other’s network strengths and provide robust access for passengers to travel to new destinations beyond their individual network, and ultimately lead Asia Pacific Travel.