Tag Archives: His Excellency Akbar Al Baker

Zambia and Zimbabwe are being added to Qatar Airways expanding list of destinations in Africa from early August, bringing its award-winning service to two important southern African destinations. The new service to Lusaka and onwards to Harare is scheduled to be operated with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It will connect passengers in Zambia and Zimbabwe with Qatar Airways’ global network of more than 140 destinations. With the addition of these two new routes the carrier will operate over 100 weekly flights to 27 destinations in Africa. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said, “Africa continues to be an area of strong growth for Qatar Airways and launching this service will support the development of the economy and tourism sector in both countries. “Not only do we continue to rebuild our network after the pandemic, but we are actively expanding it with the addition of these two key destinations. These are the fifth and sixth new destinations in Africa added to our network since the start of the pandemic, taking our total new destinations added across the globe to 10.” The launch of Lusaka and Harare also supports increased demand for trade between Zambia and Zimbabwe and destinations on the Qatar Airways network such as London, Frankfurt and New York and from multiple points in China. With a total of 30 tonnes of cargo capacity on the aircraft per flight, Qatar Airways Cargo will play a key role in facilitating key exports from Zambia and Zimbabwe. As travellers return to the skies with Qatar Airways, they can take comfort knowing that they are travelling with the only airline in the world that has, together with its state-of-the-art …

Qatar Airways welcomes Abidjan to its global network as its debut flight to the largest city in Côte d’Ivoire landed at Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport today. With three weekly flights, the service between Doha and Abidjan via Accra will be operated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class, along with capacity of up to 15 tonnes of cargo. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said: “Launching flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire – our fourth new destination in Africa since the start of the pandemic, after having recently launched Abuja in Nigeria; Accra in Ghana; and Luanda in Angola is a significant step in our African growth. This is testament to our commitment to the African continent where we now operate over 100 weekly flights to 25 destinations in 18 countries via our home and hub, Hamad International Airport.” He added, “At Qatar Airways, being there for our passengers, trade partners and corporate customers has been our major focus since the start of the pandemic. We thank the government of Côte d’Ivoire for their support to launch these flights, and we look forward to working closely with our partners here to grow this route and support the recovery of tourism and trade in this region. As global travel recovers in 2021, we look forward to further expanding our network and offering more connections to and from Africa.” The launch of Abidjan also supports increased demand for trade between Côte d’Ivoire and destinations on the Qatar Airways network such as Paris, Beirut and many points in the Indian subcontinent. With up to 15 tonnes of …

Qatar Airways’ resumption of four-weekly Atlanta flights on 1 June marks the full return of the airline’s pre-pandemic U.S. network increasing its gateways to 12, two more than it operated before COVID-19. The airline will also be increasing frequencies to Boston, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle offering more flexible travel options for its passengers with more than 85 weekly flights across the United States. These increased services will provide enhanced connectivity to several of the airline’s global leisure destinations including Cape Town, Maldives, Seychelles and Zanzibar, along with other key traffic flows in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has remained committed to its passengers and trade partners in the United States, maintaining continuous services while rebuilding its U.S. network and launching two new destinations – San Francisco and Seattle. We have also strengthened our presence in the U.S. through strategic partnerships with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue that have enabled us to connect to more points in the United States than any other airline, providing U.S. travellers the most convenient way to travel internationally this summer.   “As more of our passengers return to the skies, they can take comfort knowing that they are travelling with the only airline in the world that has, together with our state-of-the-art global hub Hamad International Airport, achieved four 5-Star Skytrax ratings – including the prestigious 5-Star Airline Rating, 5-Star Airport Rating, 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating and 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. We are proud to have lead the industry during this difficult period, setting the benchmark for …

The key holiday destination of Málaga returns to Qatar Airways’ route network as Spain begins to ease travel restrictions for tourists. Málaga is a firm favourite with holidaymakers around the world, and fully vaccinated travellers will soon be able to visit once again whilst also enjoying Qatar Airways’ award-winning hospitality and service. His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways said, “As the world begins to open up again, we at Qatar Airways stand ready to take the lead in supporting the global economic and social recovery as demonstrated by our support for tourism in Spain. Spain has always been a strategically important country for our airline, as reflected by our deep partnership with Iberia and steady rebuild of our Spain network. “Our global network continues to rebuild and expand even in these challenging times.  Passengers booking with Qatar Airways can do so with complete confidence that they can make changes to their booking should factor outside their control disrupt their travel plans.” Málaga is a beautiful and cosmopolitan city nestled along Spain´s Costa del Sol in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. The city offers a wide variety of activities for visitors to enjoy, such as exploring the historic Roman fort, basking on one of Málaga’s wonderful Mediterranean beaches, or visiting one of its many museums. Many travellers also combine a trip to Malaga with a visit to the Southern Spain hotspots of Marbella and Puerto Banus. Málaga became the third Spanish destination for Qatar Airways network in June 2018 and will be served by flights on Friday and Sunday from Doha, utilising one of the airline’s modern, sustainable and young Airbus A350-900 aircraft with seating for …

Governing Board of the oneworld global airline alliance has appointed His Excellency Akbar Al Baker as Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, to serve as its Chairman. HH Al Baker will succeed current oneworld Governing Board Chairman Mr. Alan Joyce, Group CEO of Qantas Group. As Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board, HH Al Baker will oversee the alliance’s governance, chair oneworld’s Governing Board meetings and work closely with oneworld CEO Rob Gurney and the alliance’s management team. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “As we emerge from some of the most challenging times ever facing the global airline industry, I am honoured to be chosen by my fellow board members to lead the Governing Board for oneworld, an alliance that has continued to expand since COVID-19 emerged, with the addition of two new members in Alaska Airlines and Royal Air Maroc. “I am also proud to lead an alliance that has set the benchmark for innovation, safety and customer service throughout the pandemic with many members, including Qatar Airways, taking the lead in trialing digital health passports. Qatar Airways has also enhanced bilateral relations with fellow oneworld members in the past 18 months, further demonstrating the strength of the partnerships between member airlines.” “The pivotal role airlines and aviation play in the global economy has never been more evident than this past year, with both passenger and cargo operations in the spotlight, supporting international efforts to protect lives and livelihoods. We have collectively enabled mobilisation of aid, medical supplies and key workers and I would like to pay tribute to all the teams who have worked tirelessly across the oneworld member airlines to support …

Qatar Airways Privilege Club is excited to announce more new options for its members to earn and spend Qmiles. Privilege Club members can now stay or drive away with Qmiles, with the launch of Hotel & Car Rewards. Privilege Club members will be able to use their Qmiles to book a stay at one of more than 350,000 hotels or rent a car at over 20,000 locations worldwide. Members also earn Qmiles on every cash travel booking they make. Hotel & Car Rewards enables Privilege Club members to book 5-star hotels such as Sharq Village & Spa in Doha, InterContinental London Park in London or Le Royal Monceau in Paris, using all or part Qmiles as well as booking car rentals across the globe with brands such as Avis, Budget and Sixt. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said: “At Qatar Airways, we are continually striving to enhance Privilege Club and offer our members more value and opportunities to earn and spend Qmiles. We also want to make the experience of earning and spending Qmiles as seamless as when our loyalty members travel with us across the globe. Hotel & Car Rewards provides our members’ convenient ways to spend for hotel stays and car rentals using Qmiles or to use a combination of Qmiles with Cash. Hotel & Car Rewards is another example of Privilege Club’s commitment to redefining and enhancing the experience for our loyalty members.” Rob MacLean, CEO of Points, a leading loyalty technology company who is helping to power Hotel & Car Rewards for Qatar Airways, also welcomed the news, “We are pleased to be expanding our partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club …

Qatar Airways to operate three weekly flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire via Accra from 16 June 2021 becoming the fourth new destination in Africa announced by the national carrier of the State of Qatar since the start of the pandemic. The Abidjan service will be operated by the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class. His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways said, “We are delighted to be launching flights to Abidjan, our fourth new destination in Africa since the start of the pandemic. At Qatar Airways, we remain committed to the African market, expanding our network across the continent and offering seamless connectivity to the largest network of destinations across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America. We are thankful to the Côte d’Ivoire Government for their support to launch these flights, providing an opportunity to reunite family and friends with their loved ones across the globe.  We look forward to working closely with our partners in Côte d’Ivoire to steadily grow this route and support the recovery of tourism and trade in the region.”

Qatar Airways announced its summer schedule, maintaining its position as the leading international carrier providing reliable global connectivity. Having never stopped flying throughout the pandemic the airline has worked diligently to be the world’s leading airline for safety, innovation and customer experience. By the peak of the IATA Summer Season, the national carrier of the State of Qatar plans to operate over 1,200 weekly flights to more than 140 destinations. This has been recognised with multiples awards, including being the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax. This was in addition to Qatar Airway’s home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), being the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating in December 2020. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said, “We are proud to lead the recovery of international aviation, implementing the highest standards of bio-safety and hygiene and investing in the latest innovations to simplify travel and restore passenger confidence during the most challenging period in aviation’s history. Having never stopped flying throughout the pandemic, we have used our unrivalled experience and modern, fuel-efficient fleet to operate a sustainable and reliable network our passengers, trade partners and corporate customers can rely on. We also continue to offer the largest international network, including launching seven new destinations, to provide the connectivity our passengers and cargo customers need. As the global vaccine rollout begins to gather pace, we look forward to a gradual easing of entry restrictions throughout 2021 and welcoming back our millions of passengers onboard the World’s Best Airline.”

Qatar Airways to become the first global airline to offer passengers 100 percent Zero-Touch technology for its award-winning Oryx One in-flight entertainment system across the A350 fleet as part of the airline’s latest COVID-19 safety measures. The Zero-Touch technology, introduced in partnership with the Thales AVANT IFE system, will enable A350 passengers to pair their personal electronic devices (PEDs) with their seat-back IFE screen by connecting to ‘Oryxcomms’ Wi-Fi and simply scanning a QR code displayed on the screen. They can then use their PEDs to navigate and enjoy more than 4,000 options on offer through the airline’s award-winning Oryx One in-flight entertainment system, limiting the frequency of on board surface contact and providing greater peace of mind throughout the duration of their journey. Qatar Airways is also set to become the first airline in Europe and the Middle East and North Africa region to offer passengers in Business and Economy the option to pair their personal Bluetooth headphones with the onboard seatback IFE system in all cabins on the Boeing 787-9 fleet. His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways, said, “As an industry leader in the fight against COVID-19 and the first global airline to recently achieving a 5-Star rating in the coveted Skytrax Airline Safety Rating, Qatar Airways is committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and hygiene onboard its aircraft at all times. “The introduction of the state-of-the-art Zero-Touch technology, and enabling passengers to use their personal Bluetooth headset on board is an important step in taking our already rigorous and stringent COVID-19 precautions to another level, limiting passenger surface contact and preventing any possible spread of infection on board. We hope it …

Qatar Airways begin trialling the innovative new IATA Travel Pass ‘Digital Passport’ mobile app, in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), from March 2021. The trial will play an important role in the airline’s vision to have a more contactless, secure and seamless travel experience for its passengers. The first phase of trials of the ‘Digital Passport’ will be rolled out on the airline’s Doha to Istanbul route, enabling passengers to receive COVID-19 test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their journey. It will also allow travellers to safely and securely share their verified ‘OK to Travel’ status with the airline and other stakeholders, even before their arrival at the airport. His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive, Qatar Airways Group said, “The IATA Travel Pass effectively acts as a ‘digital passport’ for travellers and is the latest tool in our fight against the spread of COVID-19, enabling passengers to securely and effortlessly navigate their travel plans, safe in the knowledge that their verified travel credential is based on the latest COVID-19 information, the strictest data privacy regulations and entry rules for the destination they will travel to.” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO, said, “The trial will help us build confidence among governments and travellers that IATA Travel Pass can securely and conveniently link traveller identities with their digital travel credentials. It will also help us prove that ICAO’s global standards for digital passports work. And it will highlight the need for governments to accelerate their work with industry to develop global standards for health certificates—a critical enabler to safely re-connecting the world.”