Barça flies to Qatar Airways from Turkish Airlines

ISTANBUL

AFP photo

Turkish Airlines has decided not to continue its FC Barcelona traveling sponsorship after June 2013, when its contract with the Catalan team ends.

The national flag carrier’s press release came on the same day as Barcelona’s announcement that it will feature Qatar Airways logo on its 2013-2014 season jerseys as a sponsor.
Barcelona’s current jersey sponsor is the Qatar Foundation.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo reported yesterday that the Barcelano-Qatar Airways deal was worth 28 million euros a year. The club did not elaborate on the finances of the deal.

Warm message to Qatar

Sandro Rosell, president of FC Barcelona, welcomed Qatar Airways, publishing on the club’s official website that it is “an ambitious brand with global aspirations, always committed to achieving the utmost excellence in its field. These are objectives with which FC Barcelona fully identifies.”
Qatar Airways started direct flights to Barcelona in 2010.

Turkish Airlines said yesterday that the decision not to renew the deal was made at a recent Istanbul meeting attended by both parties.

The airline will continue sponsoring large organizations such as the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, Turkish Airlines World Golf Final and brand envoys within the scope of its global and regional strategy. It thanked Barcelona for friendly relations and cooperation. Turkish Airlines is also a sponsor of British club Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Temel Kotil was selected as the new chairman of the Association of European Airlines (AEA). Kotil will chair the body in 2014 and 2015, after his vice presidency next year. Kotil has managed Turkish Airlines during a time of many changes as the company aggressively increases its destinations.