March 22: Qatar Airways and Iberia have announced the expansion of their codeshare partnership, offering Iberia customers increased connectivity to destinations across the Middle East and Asia, as well as providing enhanced accessibility for Qatar Airways passengers to key destinations across Latin America, including Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and Panama.

Issuing a press statement, Qatar Airways said its code (QR) will be applied to routes operated by Iberia from Madrid to Panama City, Panama; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Bogotá Medellín (MDE), Colombia; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Santo Domingo; Dominican Republic. Qatar Airways currently offers double daily flights from Doha direct to Madrid. From July, this will increase to 17 times weekly.

Qatar Airways expressed its belief that the enhanced partnership will also benefit members of both airlines’ frequent flyer programmes – Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Iberia Plus – as well as provide passengers with increased accessibility to Qatar Airways’ award-winning hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), and Iberia’s hub at Madrid Airport Terminal 4.

The national carrier of Qatar is one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, with a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft flying to business and leisure destinations across six continents while Iberia is a leading carrier on routes between Europe and Latin America. Together with its subsidiary Iberia Express and its franchise partner Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum, it operates 600 daily flights to 131 destinations in 48 countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Middle East and Asia with a fleet of some 135 aircraft.