8 new destinations to join QA network this year: Baker
The airline displayed its ultra-modern Airbus A350-1000 alongside state-of-the-art Gulfstream G500
QATAR Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al Baker has said the airline will add eight new destinations to its network in 2020.
“Eight new destinations will be joining our network this year. This ensures we can continue to provide our passengers more options and flexibility when planning their business and leisure travel,” Baker told reporters on the sidelines of Kuwait Aviation
Show on Wednesday.
The new destinations include: Nur-Sultan and Almaty in Kazakhstan; Cebu in the Philippines; Accra in Ghana; Trabzon in Turkey; Luanda in Angola; Lyon in France and Siem Reap in Cambodia.
On blockade, Baker said, “The impact of the blockade on Qatar Airways is zero, and we have continued to grow and to implement our strategy without being affected by the blockade.”
Even financial losses are not a result of the blockade, but rather due to increase in operating expenses as a result of increased number of flights, he said, adding that Qatar Airways will achieve profits in the fiscal year 2021-2022.
Regarding the impact of the Ukrainian plane accident in Iran, Baker underlined that Qatar Airways’ safety record is robust and that the airline has not cancelled any reservation due to the tragic accident, which reflects the confidence of travellers in Qatar Airways. “Iran is an important country for us, it is a neighbour, and we would like to continue to serve Iranian travellers.”
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has expanded its codeshare cooperation with Malaysia Airlines, starting from January
27. With 10 Qatar Airways destinations covered by the airlines’ current codeshare cooperation, the expanded agreement will allow Malaysia Airlines passengers to book travel to 20 additional QA gateways in Europe, America, and Africa.
In turn, QA passengers will benefit from access to four new destinations in South East Asia. They can book travel on Malaysia Airlines’ flights to Sibu, Malaysia; Alor Setar, Malaysia; Medan, Indonesia; and Surabaya, Indonesia.
QATAR Airways (QA) wowed the crowds on the opening day of the Kuwait Aviation Show, showcasing two of the newest aircraft in its fleet alongside announcing new destination plans for 2020.
QA Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker and Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport Engineer Badr al Meer hosted a number of dignitaries at the carrier’s chalet, including Sheikh Mohammad al Abdullah al Mubarak al Sabah, deputy Amiri Diwan minister of Kuwait, and Sheikh Salman al Humoud al Sabah, directorgeneral at the General Directorate of Civil Aviation – Kuwait.
Baker said, “The Kuwait Aviation Show is the perfect platform for us to kick-start the New Year and unveil some of our exciting plans for 2020. Eight new destinations will be joining our network this year in addition to the recently announced gateways of Santorini, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Osaka, Japan.
“With these new routes, our operations will expand to 177 destinations around the world, reinforcing our position as one of the world’s most connected airlines. This ensures we can continue to provide our passengers more options and flexibility when planning their business and leisure travel.”
A multiple award-winning airline, QA was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience,
Qsuite. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.
QA currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport, to more than 160 destinations worldwide. The world’s fastestgrowing airline added several exciting new destinations to its growing network last year, including Rabat, Morocco; Izmir, Turkey; Malta; Davao, Philippines; Lisbon, Portugal; Mogadishu, Somalia; Langkawi, Malaysia; and Gaborone, Botswana.