Children Receive Uniforms and Books for Back-to-School
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 2013-09-23 — /travelprnews.com/ — Qatar Airways celebrated the launch of its new route to Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, by providing school uniforms and books for school-age children participating in the Our Father’s Kitchen programme.
Our Father’s Kitchen is a feeding programme which provides daily meals for approximately 216 underprivileged children in three different neighbourhoods of the Addis Ababa community.
“At Qatar Airways we have a strong sense of corporate social responsibility and that is why we always endeavour to lend a helping hand in the communities that we serve in,” said Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways.
“Ethiopia is one of the driving forces behind the change which is taking place in the African economy, hence why opening up a new route to Addis Ababa makes a great deal of business sense,” said Al Baker. “However, if we are going to do business here it is important to us that we become an active member of the community. Partnering with ‘Our Father’s Kitchen’ will enable us to make a difference, even if in a small way.”
Home to the African Union and the second most populous country in the continent, Ethiopia is often called the political capital of Africa due to its historical, cultural and political significance.
There is a growing Ethiopian population living and working in Qatar and the Middle East. There is also a significant diaspora of Ethiopians in the U.S., expecting to benefit from the new Doha –Addis Ababa service and contribute strong business and leisure traffic within Qatar Airways’ network.
With three-flights-a-week on the route, Qatar Airways offers an excellent alternative gateway with great connections via Doha to an exciting range of business and leisure destinations across North and South America, Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific. Popular destinations include Washington DC, New York, Houston, Chicago, Montreal, London and Dubai.
The Doha – Addis Ababa route is served with an Airbus A320 featuring up to 12 seats in Business Class and up to 132 seats in Economy. The aircraft offers seatback TV screens providing all passengers with the next generation interactive onboard entertainment system featuring a choice of more than 800 audio and video on demand options.
“Passenger demand prompted this new route and I am excited that we are able to bring our award-winning Five Star service to Ethiopia for the first time.
“I am confident Addis Ababa will be just as successful as our other destinations in Africa and this will further strengthen our position across the Continent”, added Al Baker.
Flight schedules, between Addis Ababa and Doha, are as follows:
DOHA – ADDIS ABABA: 3-times-a-week, effective September 18, 2013
Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays
QR530 Depart Doha at 2215 hrs, arrive Addis Ababa at 0140 hrs next day
ADDIS ABABA – DOHA: 3-times-a-week, effective September 19, 2013
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
QR531 Depart Addis Ababa at 0250 hrs, arrive Doha at 0615 hrs
Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 129 aircraft to 131 key business and leisure destinations worldwide.
Apart from Addis Ababa, Qatar Airways has so far launched eight destinations this year – Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Najaf (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Chicago (USA), Salalah (Oman), Basra (Iraq), Sulaymaniyah (Iraq), Chengdu (China).
Over the next few months, the network will expand with the addition of further destinations –Ta’if, Saudi Arabia (October 2), Clark International Airport, Philippines (October 27) and Philadelphia, USA (April 2, 2014).
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. In addition to winning Skytrax’s prestigious Airline of the Year2011 and 2012, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the seventh year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best Premium Service Airport for the third consecutive year in 2013. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. In September 2013, Qatar Airways announced it will join the oneworld alliance effective 30 October 2013. For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com
For further information
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 44302072, Fax: +974 44302069
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Website: www.qatarairways.com
Ethiopia Press Office: Cactus Communications
Tel: +251 115544901
Joy Muchina: joy.muchina@cactusethiopia.com