The Hindu Business Line : India to play a key role in Qatar Airways’ growth strategy

Bullish on potential
India is by far the largest single market for the airline with a network of nine cities.
The airline is eyeing more opportunities and is looking forward to opening up further routes to give the travelling public to and from India more choice.

Our Bureau

Kochi, June 17 Qatar Airways has spelt out plans to expand its presence across India as part of a long-term commitment to one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Announcing the launch of daily flights from the airline’s Doha hub to the southern city of Kozhikode, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akbar Al Baker, said the airline currently operates 58 flights a week to India, including daily scheduled services to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad and Kozhikode, along with a twice-weekly operation to Nagpur.

Special ties

Addressing a press conference at Kozhikode, Mr Al Baker said that the growth of Qatar Airways was the result of close cooperation between the Governments of Qatar and India and it had ensured that air travel between the two countries remained robust.

“Our countries have enjoyed a special relationship for many years — a relationship that has come to fruition with air access gradually being stepped up between the two countries. This has enabled Qatar Airways to fly to more destinations across India and I am delighted that we are able to spread our award-winning Five-Star services to yet another city on the global map,” he said.

Huge potential

Stressing the importance of India in the airline’s growth strategy, he pointed out that India today is by far the largest single market for Qatar Airways with a network of nine cities which represents more than 10 per cent of the airline’s global network of 83 international routes. It is eyeing more opportunities in this huge market and was looking forward to opening up further routes to give the travelling public to and from India more choice.

For passengers from Europe, West Asia, Africa and North America, Qatar Airways offers a wide choice of convenient connections to India. The airline currently operates a fleet of 62 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 83 destinations worldwide, including the Far East and the Indian subcontinent.

Fleet expansion

Qatar Airways’ plans to take delivery of its third Boeing 777 aircraft this summer, which will be the start of an aggressive fleet expansion programme over the next few years with an average of one aircraft joining the airline every month.

Deliveries will include the airline’s first Boeing 777-200 Long Range version from November 2008, which will be capable of flying non-stop to any key international business and leisure destination from Doha. The airline currently has outstanding orders for more than 200 aircraft worth over $30 billion.

Following the success of non-stop flights between Doha and the southern Chinese industrial city of Guangzhou launched in March, the Kozhikode leg will be the second route launch in 2008. Starting November, Qatar Airways is to begin scheduled flights to Houston, which at 17 hours will be one of the longest non-stop flights in the world operating from Doha.

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