Qatar Airways
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| Founded | November 22, 1993 | ||
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| Commenced operations | January 20, 1994 | ||
| Hubs | Doha International Airport | ||
| Frequent-flyer program | Qatar Airways Privilege Club - Qmiles | ||
| Airport lounge | Qatar Premium Terminal | ||
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| Fleet size | 102 incl. cargo | ||
| Destinations | 100 | ||
| Company slogan | World's 5-star airline | ||
| Parent company | Government of Qatar | ||
| Headquarters | Qatar Airways Towers Doha, Qatar |
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| Key people | Akbar Al Baker (CEO) | ||
| Website | www.qatarairways.com |
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. (Arabic: القطرية, Qatariyah), operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha,[1] it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of 99 aircraft. It is one of only seven airlines awarded 5-star rating by Skytrax along with Cathay Pacific, Kingfisher Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Hainan Airlines. [2]
Qatar Airways operates services across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Far East, South Asia, Middle East, North America, South America and Oceania.
Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011 - whilst there Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777 aircraft.
Qatar Airways is currently undergoing a major expansion and is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world.[citation needed]
The airline employs more than 19,000 people. 13,000 employees work for the airline directly while the other 6,000 work in the airline's subsidiaries.[3][4]
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[edit] History
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This section requires expansion with: more information about the airline's history. |
Qatar Airways was established on November 22, 1993. The airline started its operations on January 20, 1994 using a wet-leased Boeing 767-200ER from Kuwait Airways. It was originally owned by private members of the royal family of Qatar. However, it was re-launched in 1997, under a new management team. Currently, the government of Qatar holds 50% stake of Qatar Airways and the rest is held by private investors.
Qatar Airways is expanding. The airline has launched 22 new destinations since 2010, with 9 more destinations announced. These new destinations which Qatar Airways has already launched are Ankara, Aleppo, Bangalore, Barcelona, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Hanoi, Montreal, Nice, Phuket, São Paulo, Shiraz, Kolkata, Medina, Oslo, Sofia, Stuttgart and Venice, and Tokyo. Qatar Airways will also launch Baku, Tblisi, and Entebbe during 2011. These new routes will bring the number of destinations Qatar Airways serves from 85 to 110 worldwide.
[edit] Company affairs and identity
[edit] Divisions
Qatar Airways has many divisions including: Qatar Aircraft Catering Company, Doha International Airport, Qatar Airways Holidays, United Media Int, Qatar Duty Free, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Distribution Company and Qatar Executive.
[edit] Cargo
Qatar Airways Cargo, the airlines freight branch, has ordered three Boeing 777F. The first Boeing 777F was delivered to the airline in on May 14, 2010, and has freight facilities able to handle 750,000 tonnes of cargo per annum during its first development phase. The Boeing 777F will be used primarily on Qatar Airways' Far East and European routes and will be supplemented by Airbus A300-600F freighters that operate on regional routes feeding the airline's hub.
Dedicated cargo flights to Cairo International Airport were launched in June 2009 complementing the passenger services already operated.[5]
On August 18, 2010, the airline launched its first US dedicated cargo service from its hub in Doha to Chicago with a stop-over in Amsterdam, Netherlands with Boeing 777 freighter aircraft.[6]
[edit] Qatar Executive
Qatar Executive is a corporate jet subsidiary of Qatar Airways. The jets are painted in a different paint scheme than the rest of Qatar Airways' fleet, sporting a white fuselage with a slightly smaller Oryx painted in the airline's traditional colors of burgundy and gray.
The Royal fleet of Qatar Emiri Flight also are painted in full Qatar Airways livery, however they are not part of the airline or Qatar Executive.
[edit] Natural gas to liquid fuel demonstration
On 12 October 2009, a Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600 conducted the world's first commercial passenger flight using a mixture of kerosene and synthetic Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) fuel, produced from natural gas, on its flight from London's Gatwick Airport to Doha.[7] The experiment's purpose was to demonstrate the viability of jet fuel made from a source not subject to rapidly fluctuating oil prices. In addition, positioning natural gas in particular as an alternative source of jet fuel is in the interests of the Qatari government; Qatar is the world's leading exporter of natural gas. However, some experts believe that GTL fuel is likely to remain a marginal choice due to an expensive production process.[8]
[edit] Cabin crew
Qatar Airways cabin crew was voted Best Cabin Crew in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 120 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5 star service to its customers (passengers)
[edit] Destinations
As of June 8, 2011, Qatar Airways serves 101 [9] destinations and Qatar Airways Cargo serves 19 (including 15 destinations served by Qatar Airways also) destinations in 55 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania from its hub at Doha International Airport. It is one of the few airlines to fly to all six permanently inhabited continents. The other carriers are Air France, British Airways, Delta, Emirates, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, South African and United.[10]
Qatar Airways has launched 16 new destinations since 2010, with 9 more destinations announced. These new destinations which Qatar Airways has already launched Ankara, Aleppo, Bangalore, Barcelona, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Hanoi, Kolkata, Medina, Montreal, Sofia, Venice, Nice, Oslo, Phuket, São Paulo, Shiraz, Stuttgart and Tokyo. Qatar Airways will also launch Baku, Chongqing, Entebbe, Tblisi, and Benghazi during 2011. These new routes bring the number of destinations Qatar Airways serves from 85 to 101 worldwide.
[edit] Future
Qatar Airways has announced several destinations for 2012 i.e. Aberdeen,Aleppo, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Brussels, Chongqing,Cumbernauld International, Edinburgh, Entebbe, Helsinki, Kolkata, Medina, Montreal, Oban, Oslo, Shiraz, Sofia, Stuttgart, Tbilisi and Venice, thus taking the total number of destinations to 100 worldwide by April and June 2011.[11][12][13]
Qatar Airways has also announced that it will cease operations from London Gatwick Airport from June 2011 citing inadequate revenue as the reason for the decision.[14]
In October 2011, Qatar Airways made an agreement with the Iranian government to cover domestic routes.[15]
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Qatar Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines.[16] * indicate as Star Alliance:
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[edit] Fleet
[edit] Current fleet
As of August 2011, the Qatar Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (excluding Qatar Executive):
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Options | Passengers | Notes | |||
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| F | J | Y | Total | |||||
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24 | 7 |
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Widescreen AVOD/ Mainscreen |
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12 |
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Widescreen AVOD / Mainscreen |
| Airbus A330-200 | 16 | — | — | 12 | 24 | 192 | 228 | PTV AVOD |
| 8 | 24 | 200 | 232 | |||||
| — | 24 | 236 | 260 | |||||
| — | 24 | 248 | 272 | |||||
| Airbus A330-300 | 13 | — | — | 12 | 24 | 223 | 249 | PTV AVOD |
| — | 30 | 275 | 305 | |||||
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9 | —[18] |
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16 | 9 [19][20] |
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| Qatar Airways Cargo Fleet | ||||||||
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3 |
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3 | 3 [20] |
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| Total | 101 | 134 | 32 |
[edit] Previously operated
Qatar Airways formerly operated the following aircraft:[21]
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
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| Airbus A300-600R | 1997 | — | 7 operated in total. 3 still in service. |
| Airbus A310-200 | 1994 | 1995 | 2 leased from Airbus Leasing |
| Boeing 727-200Adv | 1995 | 1999 | First aircraft type purchased by airline. |
| Boeing 747SR | 1995 | 2009 | 2 purchased from Boeing, ex-ANA |
Though not affilited with the airline, some VIP aircraft belonging to the Royal family and Government are also painted in Qatar Airways livery, these include the Airbus A310-300, A319CJ, A320P, A330-200, A340-200, A340-500, Bombardier BD-100, BD-700 and a Qatar Air Force Boeing C17, the fleet also operate using the airlines codes. It is expected that two Boeing 747-8BBJ on order will also be in the airlines colours.
[edit] Cabin
[edit] First class
Qatar Airways offers First Class passengers over 6.5 feet of legroom and seats that fold into flat beds with feather duvets. First Class seats are equipped with massage functions and an entertainment system. Qatar Airways plans to eliminate First Class cabins from existing A340 aircraft, as well as new aircraft deliveries, except the A380s.[22] Al-Baker has announced that all upcoming 777 deliveries will be in standard two-class configuration.
[edit] Business class
Qatar Airways offers Business Class passengers fully flat 180-degree horizontal beds in a 2-2-2 configuration on board a fleet of new Boeing 777 aircraft. The Boeing 777 aircraft are used on the following routes: New York (JFK), Washington, DC (IAD), Houston (IAH), Cape Town (CPT), Mumbai (BOM), Johannesburg (JNB), Melbourne (MEL), Bangkok (BKK), Singapore (SIN),Shanghai (PVG), Guangzhou (CAN), London (LHR), São Paulo (GRU), Buenos Aires (EZE), Manila (MNL),and Jeddah (JED). Business Class passengers on board other long-haul aircraft have up to 172-degree recliner seats, with massage functions. Customers can choose fine wines and champagnes, including vintages exclusive to Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways has introduced new Business Class seats on board its newly delivered A320 aircraft with IFE seat-back PTVs in every seat. It will introduce the new seats in each upcoming new A320 aircraft, as well as retrofitting 4 existing A321 and 2 A319LR aircraft.
Qatar Airways will introduce a whole new business class cabin starting from 2011. Details as to what the new cabin will feature have not been made public.[22]
[edit] Economy class
Qatar Airways Economy Class was named best in the world in the 2009 and 2010 Skytrax Awards. Qatar Airways offers Economy Class passengers a seat pitch of up to 34 inches. Economy class passengers on A330/A340 aircraft are offered individual seat-back TV screens. Passengers on Boeing 777 aircraft are offered touch-screen TV's.
Qatar Airways has taken delivery of several A320 family aircraft so far with individual seat-back personal televisions in every seat in economy class. The IFE is equipped with the same Thales entertainment system as used in the widebody fleet. A further four A321s and the two A319LRs will be equipped with the new IFE, as well as new upcoming A320 family aircraft deliveries.
[edit] Inflight entertainment
All classes on board Qatar Airways aircraft (apart from some A319/A320/A321s) have video screens at every seat. Only a few A319/A320/A321's have personal televisions in every seat, and more are to be fitted in the near future. Live digital satellite television can be accessed on the A330 and A340 aircraft, offering European and Arabic channels. All long-haul fleet aircraft and some short-haul aircraft are equipped with on-demand IFE systems featuring movies, TV programmes, music, games, interactive maps, and a personal telephone. Qatar Airways has 3 different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Mainscreen. All are branded under the Oryx Entertainment - Multiplex in the sky branding. Widescreen AVOD is fit on board all Boeing 777's and some A319/A320/A321. It offers a touch screen and a remote. This is the flagship system and is fitted on board all new deliveries. It doesn't have live television. PTV AVOD is fit on board all A330's and A340's. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. Mainscreen is fit on board all A319/A320/A321's that don't have the new widescreen system. There are also mainscreen screens fit on board A330's in addition to their PTV AVOD system, they offer airshow throughout the flight. Mainscreen shows films and TV shows for the duration of the shorthaul journeys. It also shows airshow in the spare time. It will be the first system to disappear. |A319: Widescreen AVOD/Mainscreen |A320: Widescreen AVOD/Mainscreen |A321: Widescreen AVOD/Mainscreen |A330: PTV AVOD/Mainscreen |A340: PTV ADOD |Boeing 777: Widescreen AVOD
[edit] Privilege Club
Qatar Airways' Privilege Club loyalty programme has reciprocal agreements with Asiana Airlines' Asiana Club, bmi's Diamond Club, Lufthansa's Miles and More, Middle East Airlines' Cedar Miles, All Nippon Airways' Mileage Club, United Airlines' Mileage Plus, and US Airways' Dividend Miles frequent flyer schemes. Privilege Club also has tie-ups with international hotel and car rental companies.
[edit] Qatar Airways Exclusive Premium Terminal
The Premium Terminal, Qatar Airways' dedicated terminal for First and Business Class passengers, opened at Doha International Airport in Winter 2006. Built in nine months at a cost of US$90million, the 10,000sqm Premium Terminal features facilities include check-in, duty-free shopping, conference rooms, nursery and play area, spa treatment rooms, sauna, jacuzzi and restaurants. The business class lounge has undergone renovation that has increased the seating capacity by more than 80%. CEO Akabar Al Bakar is also leading the development of the New Doha International Airport, which opens in phases from 2011.
[edit] Key dates
- November 22, 1993: Qatar Airways is founded.
- January 20, 1994: Airline begins operations as a budget carrier.
- October, 1996: New management appointed.
- March 24, 1997: Airline receives first Airbus A300-600 aircraft on lease from AWAS in new Qatar Airways livery.
- February 1, 1999: Airline takes delivery of first new Airbus A320 aircraft (A7-ABR) on lease from Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE).
- May 2002: Government of Qatar withdraws from Gulf Air; fast-growing Qatar Airways has 21 aircraft.[23]
- May 10, 2003: Airline takes delivery of first Airbus A330-200 aircraft (A7-ACA).
- January 11, 2004: At the Dubai Airshow, Qatar Airways orders Airbus A380s and A340-600s.[24]
- June 13, 2005: At the Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways becomes the launch customer for the Airbus A350 ordering 60 aircraft worth $15bn.[25]
- September 8, 2006: Airline takes delivery of first Airbus A340-600 aircraft (A7-AGA).
- June 18, 2007: At the Paris Airshow, Qatar Airways orders 80 Airbus A350 worth US$16 billion, becoming the launch customer for the type.[26]
- June 27, 2007: Qatar Airways' maiden US flight arrives in New York.[27]
- November 11, 2007: Qatar Airways orders 60 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and 32 Boeing 777s.[28]
- November 29, 2007: First Boeing 777-300ER arrived at Doha.[29]
- June 15, 2009: At the Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways orders 20 Airbus A320 and 4 Airbus A321 aircraft worth $1.9bn.[30]
- February 3, 2009: Airline takes delivery of first Boeing 777-200LR.[31]
- October 12 2009: Qatar Airways completed the world’s first commercial passenger flight powered by a fuel made from natural gas. [32]
- December 1, 2009: Qatar Airways' maiden Australian flight arrives in Melbourne.
- May 18, 2010: Airline puts first Boeing 777F (A7-BFA) into service with flight from Doha to Amsterdam. Aircraft was delivered on May 14, 2010.[33][34]
- June 22, 2011: Qatar Airways wins the coveted title as the World's Best Airline at the 2011 World Airline Awards, in a ceremony held at the French Air and Space Museum, as part of the 2011 Paris Air Show.[35]
[edit] Incidents and accidents
- On April 19, 2007, an Airbus A300-600R (registration A7-ABV) was written off as a result of a hangar fire during maintenance at Abu Dhabi International Airport (GAMCO maintenance center).[36]
[edit] See also
- Doha International Airport
- Qatar Amiri Flight, who operates aircraft in Qatar Airways colour schemes
- Qatar Executive
- Transport in Qatar
[edit] References
- ^ "Qatar Airways Tower." Qatar Airways. Retrieved on 22 June 2010.
- ^ The World's official 5-Star Airlines™ - SKYTRAX
- ^ Qatar Airways Factsheet May 2010
- ^ Eyeing expansion strategies for Recruitment
- ^ Thepeninsulaqatar.com[dead link]
- ^ Qatar Airways to begin Chicago freighter service | Qatar Airways | AMEinfo.com
- ^ "Qatar Airways Makes GTL History". Downstream Today. 2009-10-15. http://www.downstreamtoday.com/news/article.aspx?a_id=18626. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
- ^ Qatar Airways Flies Plane With New Fuel, Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, October 14, 2009, p.B2
- ^ Welcome to Qatar Airways - World's 5-star airline
- ^ Smith, Patrick (10 July 2009). "Ask the Pilot: Welcome to the Six Continent Club!". Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2009/07/10/askthepilot326/index1.html. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
- ^ "Qatar Airways Announces Six New Routes" (Press release). Qatar Airways. 2010-06-21. http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/newsroom/archive/press-release-21June10.html.
- ^ Qatarairways.com
- ^ Qatar Airways Announces Move Into Canada | Qatar Airways Press Release
- ^ "Qatar Airways drops Gatwick flight". Traveldaily UK. http://www.traveldaily.co.uk/AsiaPacificNews/Detail.aspx?Section=22114. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gtzVj96Te9Mp5_sDZIwqusa4p8QQ?docId=CNG.22bf39aaf6fbe6d2d020bdb834fe727f.161
- ^ Codeshare with Qatar Airways
- ^ Qatar Airways Fleet | Qatar Airways UK
- ^ "More orders at Farnborough on day three". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 21 July 2010. http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/215310.asp?source=rss. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
- ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boeing-qatar-airways-announce-order-for-six-777-300ers-124175924.html
- ^ a b HeraldNet.com - Aerospace blog: Qatar Airways announces order for five Boeing 777s
- ^ Flight International World Airline Directory 1994-2002
- ^ a b Businessweek.com
- ^ Qatar Airways from encyclopedia.com
- ^ Qatar Airways Orders Airbus A380s And A340-600s
- ^ Airbus wins Qatar Airways order worth $15bn
- ^ Qatar Airways orders 80 Airbus A350XWB worth US$16 billion
- ^ Qatar Airways Maiden USA Flight Arrives In New York
- ^ Qatar Airways Orders 60 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners And 32Boeing 777
- ^ Qatar Airways celebrates delivery of first Boeing aircraft as Boeing 777-300ER lands at Doha International Airport
- ^ Qatar Airways Buys 24 Airbus A320 Family Aircraft
- ^ Qatar Airways Takes Delivery of First Boeing 777-200LR
- ^ [http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/newsroom/archive/press-release-12Oct09-2.html
- ^ Qatar Airways New Boeing 777 Freighter Goes Into Operation
- ^ Qatar Airways puts first 777F into service
- ^ http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards_2011/Airline2011.htm
- ^ "Qatar A300-600 destroyed". Flight International. 1 May 2007. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/05/01/213542/qatar-a300-600-destroyed.html. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Qatar Airways |
- Official website
- Official mobile website
- Qatar Executive
- Qatar Airways Cargo
- Qatar to Houston - Qatar Airways
- Oryx In-flight Magazine - www.oryxinflightmagazine.com
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