Qatar Airways wowed the crowd on the opening day of the Kuwait Aviation Show, showcasing two of the newest aircraft in its fleet alongside announcing new destination plans for 2020.
Starting 30 March, Qatar Airways will have two weekly flights to Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. It will also start flying to Almaty, Kazakhstan twice weekly starting 1 April, increasing to four weekly flights from 25 May. Qatar Airways will also start flying to Cebu, Philippines thrice weekly starting 8 April, while flights to Accra, Ghana will be daily starting 15 April. Flights to Trabzon, Turkey will also be thrice weekly starting 20 May. Lyon, France will also be added to the destinations of Qatar Airways, having five weekly flights starting 23 June. Meanwhile four weekly flights to Luanda, Angola will start 14 October. Five weekly flights to Siem Reap, Cambodia will start 16 November.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, said:
The Kuwait Aviation Show is the perfect platform for us to kick start the New Year and unveil some of our exciting plans for 2020. Eight new destinations will be joining our network this year in addition to the recently announced gateways of Santorini, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Osaka, Japan. With these new routes, our operations will expand to 177 destinations around the world, reinforcing our position as one of the world’s most connected airlines. This ensures we can continue to provide our passengers more options and flexibility when planning their business and leisure travel.’
HE Akbar Al Baker and Engineer Badr Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer, Hamad International Airport hosted a number of dignitaries at the carrier’s chalet, including HE Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Deputy Amiri Diwan Minister in the State of Kuwait and Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, Director-General, General Directorate of Civil Aviation – Kuwait.
Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines Announce Significant Codeshare Expansion
Qatar Airways is also pleased to announce expanded codeshare cooperation with Malaysia Airlines, starting 27 January 2020. The new codeshare agreement will strengthen the two airlines’ strategic partnership, first initiated in 2001.
With 10 Qatar Airways destinations covered by the airlines’ current codeshare cooperation, the expanded agreement will allow Malaysia Airlines passengers to book travel to 20 additional Qatar Airways gateways in Europe, America, and Africa.
In turn, Qatar Airways passengers will benefit from access to four exciting new destinations in South East Asia. They can now book travel on Malaysia Airlines’ flights to Sibu, Malaysia; Alor Setar, Malaysia; Medan, Indonesia; and Surabaya, Indonesia. This brings the total number of codeshare routes in Malaysia Airlines’ network to 24.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, said:
Since 2001, both airlines have witnessed the significant benefits codeshare cooperation have brought, providing passengers with unrivalled service and seamless connections. The expansion of codeshare cooperation between Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines is a natural next step in the strengthening of our partnership.’
Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive, Izham Ismail, said they are delighted to further develop and grow their relations with Qatar Airways.
Through this cooperation, we will be able to provide travel options for our outbound travelers as well as inviting more travelers to experience the beauty Malaysia has to offer. We look forward to sharing our Malaysian hospitality further and provide a truly Malaysian experience for our passengers.’
Sales for selected new codeshare destinations will open today, 15 January, when Malaysia Airlines customers will be able to book travel on Qatar Airways flights from Doha to Vienna, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich, Athens, Rome, Oslo, Barcelona, Madrid, Geneva, and Zurich. In turn, Qatar Airways passengers will be able to book Malaysia Airlines flights to Sibu, Alor Setar, Medan, and Surabaya.
Qatar Airways began flying to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2001, now a triple daily service. Penang, Malaysia was launched in February 2018, initially with three weekly flights that increased to five weekly flights in October 2019. A five-time weekly service to Langkawi, via Penang, was launched in October 2019. In 2001, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines announced their first codeshare agreement, which was expanded in 2018, to provide greater connectivity and new destinations to their passengers.
QA, QDF Commend Rublev for ExxonMobil Men’s Open Win
Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) congratulate Andrey Rublev, winner of the 29th edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Rublev defeated Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-6 in the final at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.
The tournament was sponsored by Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free.
Qatar Airways holds an extensive global sports sponsorship portfolio, sponsoring top-level sporting events and some of the biggest football clubs which include AS Roma, Boca Juniors and FC Bayern München. As official FIFA partner, Qatar Airways recently sponsored the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019™ and will sponsor the FIFA Club World Cup 2020 edition ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
As an award-winning travel retailer, QDF boasts more than 90 affordable and luxury brands as well as over 30 restaurants and cafés covering an area of 40,000 square metres at HIA and providing travellers with a world-class shopping experience under one roof. Luxury brands also available at the five-star airport include Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Bulgari, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Moncler, Kenzo, Rolex and Harrods.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), to more than 160 destinations worldwide. The world’s fastest-growing airline added several exciting new destinations to its growing network last year, including Rabat, Morocco; Izmir, Turkey; Malta; Davao, Philippines; Lisbon, Portugal; Mogadishu, Somalia; Langkawi, Malaysia and Gaborone, Botswana. The airline will add Luanda, Angola; Osaka, Japan; Dubrovnik, Croatia and Santorini, Greece to its extensive route network in 2020.