QR hails support from trade

THOMAS Scruby, newly appointed as Australia and NZ Country Manager for Qatar Airways (TD 29 May), has paid tribute to travel agents for their partnership in recent months as the carrier continues its mission to repatriate passengers and allow essential travel to continue.

QR is one of the few airlines which have continued operating through the pandemic, with Scruby saying the support of the trade had been “absolutely key”.

“We are here to build relationships with travel agents, so that when the industry bounces back we will be firing on all cylinders,” he said.

Scruby took up his new role just over a month ago, at a key point for the carrier which has for the moment become Australia’s biggest international airline with a 45% market share - more than three times its nearest competitor in Apr.

He said QR had brought about 100,000 Australians home and repatriated 140,000 people back to their home countries, with the pandemic creating many new trade relationships as well as cementing existing partnerships.

Qatar Airways has received “exceptional approval” to operate flights into Brisbane, which has now been extended until Oct.

QR is also operating daily to Sydney and Melbourne and several times a week to Perth, and as well as about 20 destinations in Europe, last Fri announced the resumption of flights to New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington after maintaining services to Chicago and Dallas Fort Worth through COVID-19.

Scruby said services were still primarily carrying passengers for repatriation and compassionate purposes as well as governmentapproved essential travel.

He said the trade had responded well to QR’s flexible policies allowing unlimited date changes as well as voucher redemptions and destination changes within 5,000 miles.

Qatar Airways has implemented strict health and hygiene measures on its flights and at Doha International Airport, and continues to liaise closely with governments on the possibility of options for “safe corridors” to facilitate a wider resumption of travel in the coming months.