The Peninsula
Qatar Airways continues to lead the aviation industry offering more global connectivity than any other airline. With the airline’s network never falling below 30 destinations since the onset of the pandemic, the resumption of services to Amman, Entebbe, Hanoi, Seychelles, Windhoek and Yerevan and the launch of new flights to Accra will see the airline’s global network more than triple in size by mid October. The airline plans to resume flights or increase frequencies to Copenhagen, Clark, Dhaka, Entebbe, Hanoi, Madrid, Manchester, Manila, Seychelles, Stockholm, Windhoek and Yerevan.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are proud to be the leading global airline connecting passengers with the world, helping take people safely and sustainably to where they need to be. “Having one of the youngest, most fuel-efficient fleets enables us to be agile and respond quickly to passenger demand. Our focus throughout the rebuild of our network is not only on restarting destinations but also operating as many frequencies as possible to provide our passengers the flexibility to travel when they want.
“By continuing to fly during the pandemic while others stopped, we have gained the trust of passengers as an airline they can rely on. We have taken more international passengers home than any other airline during this pandemic and as entry restrictions ease, we remain focused on our fundamental mission of carrying passengers across the globe safely and reliably,” said H E Al Baker. “There are still millions of people who have not been able to be reunited with their friends and families and it is heartwarming to know our growing network will provide them an opportunity to travel home or take a trip to see loved ones,” he added. The airline’s resilience and commitment to providing connectivity have also seen it launch several new destinations since the start of the pandemic, including Accra, Brisbane and Cebu.
The airline’s variety of fuel-efficient aircraft and strategic network management has enabled it to quickly resume flights and expand services in line with passenger demand. The frequency to Copenhagen will increase to 10 weekly flights from October 15 while there will be seven weekly flights to Dhaka from September 19. Flights to Madrid will be increased to 10 weekly flights from October 1; flights to Manchester will be increased to 17 weekly flights from 15 October 15; and flights to Manila will be increasing to 17 weekly flights from October 2.
There will be three weekly flights to Seychelles starting October 15 while frequency to Stockholm will be increased to 10 weekly flights from October 15. There will be nine weekly flights to Clark from September 20, three weekly flights to Entebbe from October 2, and four weekly flights to Hanoi from October 3. To ensure travellers can plan their travel with peace of mind, the airline has extended its booking policies to offer even more choice to its passengers. The airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original destination. The airline will not charge any fare differences for travel completed before 31 December 2020, after which fare rules will apply.
All tickets booked for travel up to 31 December 2020 will be valid for two years from the date of issuance. According to the latest IATA data, Qatar Airways has become the largest international carrier between April to July by fulfilling its mission of taking people home. This enabled the airline to accumulate unmatched experience in carrying passengers safely and reliably, and uniquely positioned the airline to effectively rebuild its network. The carrier has stringently implemented the most advanced safety and hygiene measures onboard its aircraft and at Hamad International Airport.
