Qatar Airways celebrates arrival of inaugural flight from Doha to Sydney

SYDNEY, Australia: Qatar Airways this week celebrated the arrival of its first flight from Doha to Sydney, making this the airline’s third gateway into Australia. 

A delegation of VIPs from Qatar, including Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, were met from the aircraft by Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather; Official Secretary to the Governor of New South Wales Colonel Michael Miller RFD; Destination NSW Chairman John Hartigan; and Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan.

The award-winning airline now operates a Boeing 777-300 daily from Doha to Sydney connecting Australian passengers to its global network of more than 150 destinations. Qatar Airways has been serving Australia since 2009 when it commenced flights to Melbourne, later adding flights to Perth in 2012.

Al Baker said: “Touching down here in Sydney for the first time today is an important milestone for Qatar Airways and for the people of Australia. We are delighted to be able to offer passengers flying from Sydney the opportunity to connect to more than 150 places on our global network via our state-of-the-art airport in Doha. We look forward to taking the people of Sydney to the places they want to go on our modern aircraft, and giving them a taste of the Arabian hospitality and comfort that earned us the aviation industry’s most prestigious title of Skytrax Airline of the Year in 2015.

“I would like to personally thank Sydney Airport and city authorities for welcoming us today and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with them and the people of Australia in the coming years as we all go places together.”

The new route to Sydney is expected to generate an estimated 3,000 jobs in New South Wales and contribute more than AUD$240 million to the local economy.

The new service will also provide 84 tons of cargo capacity per week in and out of the New South Wales (NSW) capital, connecting Australia’s leading exporters to Qatar Airways Cargo’s global network of more than 150 stations around the world. Qatar Airways Cargo, the third largest international cargo airline, already carries 301 tons of freight in the belly hold of its Boeing 777 passenger aircraft into and out of Perth and Melbourne per week.

Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Qatar Airways to Sydney Airport. Qatar Airways is a three-time Skytrax Airline of the Year winner and will provide passengers with more choice, a quality product and seamless connectivity through Doha’s new Hamad International Airport to destinations around the world.

With an average connection time of just 90 minutes via the airline’s hub at Hamad International Airport Doha, passengers travelling from Sydney can expect a smooth and seamless journey to their final destination. The contemporary and luxurious airport, which opened in 2014, has more than 40,000 square metres of retail space and restaurants including more than 70 retail and 30 food and beverage outlets, as well as a 25-metre swimming pool, gym, hotel and spa.

Passengers travelling on board the Qatar Airways Boeing 777 to and from Sydney in Business Class can enjoy one of the most comfortable fully-flat beds in the sky with 78 inches of seat pitch. In addition, the on-demand à la carte menu service allows Business Class passengers to order anything from the menu at any time during the flight. The aircraft also features the state-of the-art Oryx One entertainment system, with more than 3,000 entertainment options on individual screens in all classes.