Qatar Airways has continued to expand its portfolio of partnerships by signing an expanded codeshare agreement with Oman Air.

The deal is designed to boost connectivity and provide more flexible travel options for customers.

The expanded agreement is the first step in further strengthening strategic cooperation between the two airlines that first began in 2000.

Sales of the additional destinations will commence in 2021.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are pleased to further expand our code-share cooperation with Oman Air, one of the leading airlines in the Gulf region.

“Now more than ever, it is important to strengthen strategic partnerships across the industry to optimise our operations and provide seamless connectivity to hundreds of destinations across the globe for our passengers.

“Since 2000, both airlines have seen the benefits that commercial cooperation has brought, providing our passengers with unrivalled service and more flexibility to travel when they want.

“I look forward to further strengthening our commercial cooperation with Oman Air to provide even more benefits to our customers.”

The code-share expansion will significantly increase the number of destinations available to Oman Air passengers from three to 65 on the Qatar Airways’ network across Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, India, and the Middle East.

Qatar Airways passengers will also benefit from additional connectivity, with the ability to book travel on an additional six destinations across Africa and Asia in Oman Air’s network.

Both airlines will also explore a number of joint commercial and operational initiatives to further optimise their partnership.

Oman Air chief executive, Abdulaziz Al Raisi, said: “We are delighted to expand our commercial cooperation with Qatar Airways, which will streamline flying for leisure travellers from around the world to enjoy Oman’s culture, scenic beauty and hospitality, and facilitate travel for those who visit the sultanate of Oman for abundant, fast-growing business opportunities across a diverse range of sectors.

“The expansion of our code-share agreement is just the first step, and we look forward to working with Qatar Airways to further strengthen our strategic partnership to enhance the business and leisure travel experience for our customers in Oman and throughout the world.”