Qatar Airways to fly Boeing 787 Dreamliners to Scandinavia
Friday, 28 June 2013 05:48
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Paris, FRANCE: Qatar Airways has announced an expansion of its Boeing 787 services to Europe with the new state-of-the-art aircraft being deployed on three Scandinavian routes.
The Doha-based carrier will launch 787 flights to the Swedish capital Stockholm on 1 August followed a month later to both Copenhagen and Oslo capital cities of Denmark and Norway, respectively, effective 1 September.
Qatar Airways operates daily flights to each of the three Scandinavian capitals from its hub, the capital of the State of Qatar, with a total weekly capacity of 21 services.
Selected flights to each of the three cities will be served by Qatar Airways’ Dreamliners.
Speaking at the end of the Paris Air Show where Qatar Airways had its newest Boeing 787 on static display, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Our Scandinavian routes have grown in stature and importance since we began flying to the region in 2007.
“I am delighted that our Dreamliners will be introduced to Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo very soon providing our passengers with an unparalleled level of service and comfort to and from Scandinavia.
“I have always said the Dreamliner is a state-of-the-art aircraft designed to change the passenger travel experience because of the space, comfort, interior look and feel and, from an operational point of view, a highly fuel-efficient jet aircraft.”
Qatar Airways has 254 custom-made seats across its 787 Business and Economy Class cabins with specially designed interiors. Business Class is configured 1–2–1 with 22 seats, while Economy has a 232 seating capacity in a 3–3–3 layout. All seats in Business Class are fully reclinable.
The airline’s 787s are the world’s first fully connected Dreamliners with wireless facilities for passengers to remain in touch with friends and colleagues on the ground through the internet and SMS mobile texting across both Business and Economy cabins.
Qatar Airways Country Manager Scandinavia, Finland and the Baltic States, Günter Saurwein added: “To have our newest aircraft-type flying to Scandinavia is a proud moment for our Scandinavian team and demonstrates Qatar Airways’ continued faith in this region giving our customers an opportunity to experience our latest product.
“We operate daily to Doha from these markets at various times of the day during the week, offering our customers greater choice and flexibility to experience Qatar or fly onwards with excellent connections to key cities across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Asia Pacific.”
Made up of composite materials, the 787 Dreamliner is lighter and more fuel-efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range. Unique features include larger windows, reduced cabin noise and cleaner cabin air.
Qatar Airways currently operates five Boeing 787s, flying on the London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Dubai routes from Doha. The airline took delivery of its sixth Dreamliner at the Paris Air Show, where the aircraft was open for VIP, trade and media tours. Qatar Airways currently has a further 54 Dreamliners on order.
Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 125 aircraft to 128 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
The airline has so far launched six destinations this year, Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Salalah (Oman), Najaf and Basra (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Chicago (USA). Over the next few months, the network will grow further with new destinations introduced to Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (20 August), Chengdu, China (3 September), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (18 September), Clark International Airport, Philippines (27 October) and Philadelphia, USA (2 April 2014).
