QATAR AIRWAYS’ BOEING 787 DREAMLINER SOARS AT FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW

Airline Receives Resounding Praise From Special Guests And International Media Following Tours Onboard

Three Day Flying Display A Huge Hit At World’s Largest Aviation Event

Farnborough Air Show, UNITED KINGDOM – 2012-07-20 — /travelprnews.com/ — Qatar Airways has received waves of praise from special guests, media and aviation enthusiasts for the inspiring features of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

General Module ImageAviation enthusiasts look on as Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off as part of the flying display on the first three days of the daily programme at Farnborough Air Show.

Taking centre stage at the Farnborough Air Show, the world’s largest aerospace event, the aircraft flew direct from Seattle to the UK for its global reveal, on the first day of the week-long show.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways has been highly anticipating the arrival of our Boeing 787 aircraft at the Farnborough Air Show, and are proud to share this milestone with the world during the unveiling of our new Dreamliner.

Daily tours during the first three days of the show were conducted on board with guests from the travel trade, aviation industry and media having the opportunity to touch and feel all aspects of the aircraft.

Response to the aircraft’s unique design, which includes key features proprietary to Qatar Airways, has been extremely positive with many looking forward to the day when it officially enters service.

“With the induction of this aircraft into the Qatar Airways fleet, very soon, we are once again pushing the boundaries of service and excellence in the skies,” said Al Baker.

“Our visitors this week at the Farnborough Air Show are our first critics and we have been touched by the praise and positive response to the interiors of the aircraft,” said Al Baker.

Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes to the skies at the Farnborough Air Show.

A hallmark of this year’s Farnborough Air Show has been Qatar Airways’ participation in the traditional flying display programme.

The aircraft showcased its wings in an impressive seven-minute routine from days one to three of the Air Show, wrapping up its last appearance in today’s programme.

The aircraft is due to return to Seattle tomorrow to complete the final retrofitting and entertainment system inputs, before being delivered to Qatar Airways.

Once the aircraft joins the airline’s fleet, it will begin to be stationed on a number of the airline’s key routes, with its first long-haul destination set to be London Heathrow.

The airline’s new Boeing 787 is the first of 60 to be inducted into the fleet, five of the aircraft type will be delivered this year.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operation, currently operating a modern fleet of 109 aircraft to 117 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Since the beginning of the year, Qatar Airways has launched flights to Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad, and most recently, Perth (Australia) with many more destinations planned during 2012.

Over the next few months, Qatar Airways launches services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (July 25); Mombasa, Kenya (August 15); Yangon, Myanmar (October 3); Maputo, Mozambique (October 31) and a date yet-to-be-announced to the Serbian capital Belgrade.

Notes to Editors

Qatar Airways currently has orders worth over US$50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 Family of aircraft. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. In addition to winning Skytrax’s prestigious Airline of the Year 2011 award last summer, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the sixth year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best Premium Service Airport for the second consecutive year in 2012. For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com

For further information

Qatar Airways Group Corporate Communications
Tel: +974 – 44302072, Fax: +974 – 44302069
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Web: www.qatarairways.com