Qatar Airways is the official airline of the 18th Asian Games

Aug 10, 2018: Qatar Airways is the prestige partner and official airline of the 18th Asian Games Jakarta Palembang 2018, taking place in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, from August 18 until September2, 2018. The highly-anticipated sporting event will bring athletes from 45 participating nations to Jakarta and Palembang to compete for the coveted prizes.

This is the second time the Doha-based airline is supporting the Asian Games event; the carrier was also the Official Airline of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.

To mark this occasion, a high-level signing ceremony took place in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 9, 2018, in the presence of the vice president of the Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla; the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Indonesia, Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Hamar and the president of the Indonesian Asian Games 2018 Organising Committee (INASGOC), Erick Thohir.

Akbar Al Baker, Group chief executive, Qatar Airways said: “This highly-anticipated event strengthens our extensive global sporting portfolio and asserts our continuous dedication to celebrating sports as a means of bringing people together. We are tremendously proud to be flying the Qatar team of more than 200 athletes to Jakarta for the event, and we look forward to welcoming all fans to Jakarta and Palembang.”

Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Hamar said: “This is a significant and historic moment for the State of Qatar and the Republic of Indonesia and will further strengthen the already strong bonds that exist between the two nations.

Erick Thohir said: “This event is not an ordinary sports tournament, but an important occasion that promotes both peace and unity between countries in Asia. We wish all participating nations the best of luck in this memorable world-class event.”

The Asian Games is a pancontinental multi-sport event held every four years, and is the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. The prestigious competition is organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and will include 61 sporting disciplines in more than 40 facilities throughout the two host cities. Qatar Airways will proudly fly the Qatar team, consisting of more than 200 athletes, to Jakarta for the event.

The airline currently provides triple-daily services to Jakarta, served by a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class, and triple-daily services to Denpasar, served by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring 24 seats in Business Class and 388 seats in Economy Class.

In May 2017, Qatar Airways announced a groundbreaking sponsorship deal with FIFA, which saw the airline become the Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA until 2022.