Qatar Airways moots expansion plan, to add 16 new destinations till 2019

March 8, 2018: Announcing its aggressive expansion plans, Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways Group said the airline is planning to launch direct flight services to 16 new destinations by 2019.

The announcement was made recently during the opening day of ITB Berlin, the world’s largest international tourism trade fair.

Qatar Airways will be the first Gulf carrier to begin direct flight services to Luxembourg, said Al Baker. Other exciting new destinations to be launched by the airline, includes London Gatwick-United Kingdom, Cardiff-United Kingdom, Lisbon-Portugal, Tallinn-Estonia, Valletta-Malta, Cebu and Davao-Philippines, Langkawi-Malaysia, Da Nang-Vietnam, Bodrum-Antalya, Hatay-Turkey, Mykonos and Thessaloniki-Greece, and Málaga-Spain.

Additionally, twice-a-day services to Warsaw, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Prague and Kyiv will be launched, while services to Madrid, Barcelona and the Maldives will be augmented to thrice-a-day.

Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways is excited to announce further expansion with a significant number of new destinations to be added to our extensive global network during 2018 and 2019. It’s a direct reflection of our commitment to connect travellers across all corners of the world in a way that is meaningful and convenient to them. We are committed to continuing our ambitious growth strategy, in order to provide our passengers with as better choice as possible, and fly them anywhere in the world they wish to travel.”

Speaking about the blockade against Qatar, Al Baker said: “During the blockade, Qatar Airways continued its expansion and marched ahead. We kept our country supplied, and we became prouder as a nation. The blockade made my ruler an icon of defiance. Today, we are more independent than we were nine months ago. We are quite defiant, and Qatar Airways will keep on expanding and raising the flag for my country across the globe.”

Elaborated on the airline’s sporting sponsorship portfolio, he said that Qatar Airways is already the official sponsor of several top-level sporting events, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, and the FIFA Club World Cup, which is the part of the airline’s brand message, ‘Going Places Together’.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of over 200 aircraft through its hub at Hamad International Airport (HIA). Last month, the airline acquired Airbus A350-1000.