Dubai, UAE - Middle East Airlines (ME) and Turkish Airlines (TK) have signed a new codeshare agreement. The agreement will be effective as of May 15th, covering routes between Turkey and Lebanon, and expanding travel opportunities for passengers of both airlines.
The signing ceremony took place at MEA Head Quarters in Beirut. Middle East Airlines Chairman and Director General, Mohamad A. El-Hout and Turkish Airlines’ Deputy Chairman and CEO, Bilal Ekşi signed the agreement in the presence of senior officials from both sides.
This new codeshare agreement will broaden the commercial partnership between the two companies and their respective countries. At the same time, passengers of both airlines will be given more travel options between Lebanon and Turkey.
Under the terms of the agreement, Middle East Airlines and Turkish Airlines will place their codes on the flights of Middle East Airlines on Beirut – Istanbul v.v. and on the flights of Turkish Airlines on Istanbul – Beirut v.v. route. Turkish Airlines will operate three daily flights on Istanbul-Beirut-Istanbul route, while MEA will be operating 2 daily flights Beirut - Istanbul –Beirut route.
MEA Chairman, Mohamad A. El-Hout expressed the importance of this agreement, as being a step in stimulating the economic cooperation between Lebanon and Turkey, and will enable both airlines to further accommodate the needs of their loyal passengers. It is worth highlighting that this agreement is signed between two members of two different airline alliances, which will prove the ability of both airlines to expand their networks to the cities not currently served by their aircrafts.
Turkish Airlines’ Deputy Chairman and CEO, Bilal Ekşi said that; “We are pleased to sign this codeshare agreement with Middle East Airlines and aim to improve our partnership to maximize the travel opportunities offered to our passengers through our flight networks. Moreover, we believe that this partnership with Middle East Airlines will not only maximize the travel opportunities offered to our passengers through the networks of both airlines but also bring enormous benefit from a commercial perspective.” Mr. Ekşi also stressed that travelers of both airlines will experience a streamlined level of services covered by the agreement onboard two modern fleets of aircraft and he expressed his hope that this step will be the first step on the way to further enhance relations between the two airlines in the future.
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About Turkish Airlines:
Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 337 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 299 destinations worldwide with 250 international and 49 domestic. According to Skytrax survey of 2016, Turkish Airlines was chosen "Europe's Best Airline" for the 6th and "Best Airline in Southern Europe" for the 8th consecutive time. Turkish Airlines was awarded for the world's "Best Onboard Catering - Economy Class" in 2010, and the world’s "Best Business Class Airline Catering" in 2013, 2014, and once again this year; and according to this year's results, it has also been awarded the “Best Business Class Lounge Dining” award for two years in a row. More information on Turkish Airlines is available on our website www.turkishairlines.com or our Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin and Instagram accounts.
About Middle East Airlines:
Middle East Airlines, member of the global SkyTeam alliance with a consolidated route network covering 1060 destinations in 177 countries, the national airline of Lebanon, is one of the leading Middle Eastern carriers. From its home base in Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Middle East Airlines flies to 32 international destinations in Europe, Middle East and West Africa. MEA’s fleet consist of 18 Airbus Aircraft. MEA offers its customers very luxurious services both on ground and on board, reflecting Lebanese culture and hospitality. For more information about MEA, visit www.mea.com.lb
About Star Alliance:
Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, which provides a worldwide transportation, recognition and services for those traveling internationally, and which was established as the first global airline alliance in 1997. The airline companies, being the members of Star Alliance that is deemed worthy of numerous awards, including "Market Leadership Award" by the Air Transport World and “Best Airline Alliance" by the Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax, are as follows: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Avianca Brazil, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Currently, Star Alliance members operate more than 18,450 flights to 1300 airports across 190 countries daily.
About SkyTeam:
SkyTeam is the global airline alliance with 20 member airlines working together to offer seamless travel on an extensive global network. From top hubs around the world, SkyTeam members provide reliable and comfortable journeys to over 1,060 destinations. SkyTeam customers can unwind in 672 lounges as they travel, earn and redeem Frequent Flyer Miles. SkyTeam Elite Plus customers are eligible for SkyPriority services. The 20 members are: Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines and Xiamen Airlines. SkyTeam welcomes 665 million customers each year on more than 17,340 daily flights to 1,062 destinations in 177 countries.
For more information, please contact:
Gladson Ronad | Karim Geadah
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
+9714 4507 600
gladson.ronad@bm.com | karim.geadah@bm.com
© Press Release 2017
