Qatar Airways' Airbus A320 makes first maiden voyage to Thessaloniki

March 28, 2018: Qatar Airways’ Airbus A320 recently launched its first maiden service to the Thessaloniki International Airport ‘Makedonia’, which is the second-largest city of Greece.

Thessaloniki is the airline’s second gateway in Greece. The four times-weekly service from Doha to Thessaloniki, kick started barely one month ahead of the launch of the airline’s third destination to Mykonos, in Greece.

Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive, Qatar Airways Group said: “Our new service to Thessaloniki will help us reinforce links between Qatar and Greece, and deepen the friendship and co-operation between two great countries. Our second gateway in Thessaloniki is a major tourist destination, which offers access to most famous resorts in Greece. We are delighted to support Greece’s tourism industry, by providing global travellers the opportunity to visit this iconic city.”

Alexander Zinell, chief executive officer, Fraport Greece said: “I am delighted to welcome Qatar Airways to the Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport, which is the first ever-scheduled flight service, to and from Thessaloniki and Doha. The decision to commence the service by our new airline partner, Qatar Airways, is a clear indication of the growth potential of Thessaloniki airport. Passengers from Northern Greece and the Balkans can now benefit from direct flights, which will link Thessaloniki with the international hub of Doha and beyond. We look forward to working closely with Qatar Airways, and support them in ensuring the success of the new route.”

Since 2005, Qatar Airways has been operating services to Athens. In 2015, it augmented its services to the Greek buy tramadol online capital, from twice daily to three times daily, to meet the growing demand. The Athens route is operated by a mix of the airline’s state-of-the-art aircraft. It includes Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

In January 2018, Qatar Airways was the first airline to bring the Airbus A350 to the city. The first flight to Thessaloniki will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in the business class, and 132 seats in the economy class.

As part of Qatar Airways’ continued growth strategy in Europe, it’s expected to commence services to Mykonos from May. The launch of these additional two gateways to Greece confirms the airline’s strong commitment to boost tourism in region, especially from areas with strong Greek populations, such as Australia and the Middle East.

With the launch of its service to Mykonos, the airline will operate 58 weekly services, between Hamad International Airport (HIA), and Greece.

The new gateway will connect Thessaloniki to Qatar Airways’ global network, through its state-of-the-art hub in Doha, to over 150 business and leisure destinations. It includes Qatar, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Vietnam.

During 2018-19, Qatar Airways is planning to add several new destinations in its network. It includes London Gatwick and Cardiff, United Kingdom; Lisbon, Portugal; Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum, Antalya and Hatay, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece and Málaga, Spain.