If you saw my recent article in Forbes ‘Airlines behaving badly‘ you will have seen my opinion that Qatar is one of the airlines that have come out best from the current crisis. From keeping onboard service as close as possible to normal, but also making sure passengers feel safe, they have won many people’s loyalty. Add in their super-generous 5000 miles re-route policy and the fact that they have kept flying to bring people home, you can see how they have grown into the largest airline.
Qatar resumes further destinations
Qatar Airways has announced that the airline will be resuming services to Venice, Italy starting from 15 July 2020. Venice will become the airline’s third destination in Italy to resume flights. Normally Venice and Italy in general are good sources of cheap fares for Qatar flights. Currently, I can’t see anything that is particularly good value from Italy on Qatar.
Qatar will also increase flights to Dublin, Milan and Rome, with daily services starting from 13 June 2020. Qatar Airways believe that they are uniquely positioned to monitor trends in traffic flow and passenger bookings due to the amount of flying they have done during the crisis. The airline expects these additional flights to provide connectivity via its hub, Hamad International Airport, with its Asia-Pacific destinations, in particular Australia where the airline continues to operate 21 weekly flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “We are excited to resume services to Venice, one of the most iconic and popular tourist destinations in the world. Throughout this crisis, our focus has been on helping to take people home and transporting medical aid and essential supplies to impacted regions. The resumption of services to Venice is a major milestone not just for our airline but also for the global tourism industry, indicating the start of the gradual return of international leisure travel. We look forward to supporting the many businesses in Venice that rely on international tourism and expanding these flights as demand grows.
“During this crisis, we have become the largest carrier flying over 50 million kilometres to repatriate over 1.8 million passengers on over 15,000 flights. This has enabled us to accumulate unrivalled experience of how to safely and reliably carry passengers during these uncertain times. Our wide network of flights during these challenging times has ensured we have kept up to date with the latest in international airport procedures and implemented the most advanced safety & hygiene measures on board our aircraft and in Hamad International Airport”
Qatar Airways three-weekly flights to Venice will be operated by its B787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 Seats in Economy class. You can find out more about Qatar’s current onboard service in this article,
Qatar currently largest airline in the world
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for the global aviation industry. Qatar Airways has been one of the few airlines to carry on flying to a wide range of destinations to get them home during the crisis. They have carried people home safely on more flights to more destinations than any other airline, becoming the largest airline in the world over the past three months.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “During this crisis more passengers have chosen to fly with Qatar Airways than any other airline, and we appreciate the trust they have placed in us. We have become the largest global carrier flying over 50 million kilometres to repatriate over 1.8 million passengers on over 15,000 flights. This has enabled us to accumulate unrivalled experience of how to safely and reliably carry passengers during these uncertain times.
“Our wide network of flights during this period has ensured we have kept up to date with the latest in international airport procedures and implemented the most advanced safety and hygiene measures on board our aircraft and in our award winning home and hub, Hamad International Airport, recently voted the Best Airport in the Middle East for the sixth consecutive year. This is why more people rely on us for international travel than any other airline during this crisis and why we will continue to ensure the safest and most reliable experience for our passengers as we resume flights to more destinations over the summer.
“Qatar Airways is a carrier that has been recognised as the World’s Best Airline on five occasions by Skytrax, built significant goodwill with governments and embassies as we assisted stranded citizens and most importantly, been available non-stop for stranded passengers during the pandemic. We have been here 24/7 during the darkest days and will continue to be a friend in need as confidence returns and people restart their travel plans.”
Passenger and Cargo Operations
While many airlines have been forced or chosen to suspend operations, Qatar Airways has maintained an agile network helping to take over 1.8 million passengers home. The airline has also worked closely with governments, and companies around the world to operate over 220 charters and extra sector flights helping repatriate over 62,000 people.
As the global recovery from COVID-19 begins, the airline recently announced plans to gradually rebuild its network in line with passenger demand evolution and the expected relaxation of entry restrictions around the world. By the end of June, the airline plans to expand its network to 80 destinations with more to be added by the end of the Summer Season.
Qatar are managing to react very quickly to borders reopening, so it is likely if your flight is scheduled the country concerned has announced plans to reopen by that date, that you may well be flying (if you want to and FCO rules have been relaxed.)
