Qatar Airways today announced the rollout of the first phase of its strategic partnership with American Airlines over the next few weeks, during which it will place its code on a total of 1,000 of Americans’ domestic flights, connecting with Qatar Airways’ ten U.S. gateways.

The move will strengthen the carrier’s connectivity and potentially create hundreds of new flight options for travelers. Codeshare flights are available for purchase, with the first of them having already begun on May 17, 2020.

The initial phases of the codeshare operations will enable Qatar Airways’ customers to take advantage of American Airlines’ extensive domestic network, to book travel to 200 U.S. cities, including major metropolises like Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Francisco, and Seattle via its Chicago and Dallas hubs.

Additional destinations, including some in the Caribbean and Central America, are also slated for inclusion, subject to foreign government approvals. Following Phase I, further expansion will see Qatar Airways’ code placed on American’s international routes to North, Central and South America, and Europe; and, conversely, American Airlines’ code applied to Qatar Airways flights between the U.S. and Qatar, as well as Middle-Eastern, African and Asian destinations.

Simon Talling-Smith, Qatar Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “This codeshare is just the first step in renewing our long-term strategic partnership with American Airlines. The rollout of this domestic codeshare demonstrates our airlines are confident about the future and during this difficult time we continue to focus on how we can enhance the customer experience for our millions of passengers. As two of the strongest airlines in the world, I have no doubt that we will overcome the current challenge and be well-positioned to continue providing our passengers the reliable, safe and award-winning service that they have come to trust from us.”

Senior Vice President of Network Strategy at American Airlines, Vasu Raja, remarked: “We are pleased that we’ve reached this important milestone with Qatar Airways. We look forward to welcoming Qatar Airways passengers throughout our domestic network as we continue to focus on the wellbeing of our customers, team members and the communities we serve during this uncertain time. This is just the beginning of a strong partnership and we have a very bright future ahead of us.”

Qatar Airways currently continues to operate around 150 flights weekly, serving more than 30 destinations. The national carrier of the State of Qatar recently announced that it plans to expand its network to 80 destinations by the end of June 2020, subject to evolving passenger demand and anticipated relaxation of foreign travel restrictions.

To support consumer confidence in flying, Qatar Airways also announced yesterday a new set of temporary onboard health and safety measures, which dictate that cabin crew wear disposable, full-body personal protective equipment (PPE) suits over their uniforms, plus masks, gloves and safety goggles. Passengers are also required to wear face coverings (it’s recommended that they bring their own) continuously while in flight. The award-winning carrier had already intensified its sanitation and hygiene protocols early on as the pandemic began to affect the travel industry in March.