Qatar Airways now operates Boeing 777-300 daily from Doha to Sydney

Award-winning airline adds Sydney to its network of more than 150 destinations worldwid

SYDNEY, Australia, 2016-Mar-04 — /Travel PR News/ — Qatar Airways today 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, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, were met from the aircraft by Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Kerrie Mather; Official Secretary to the Governor of New South Wales, Colonel Michael Miller RFD; Destination NSW Chairman, Mr. John Hartigan; and Tourism Australia Managing Director, Mr. 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.

H.E. Mr. 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 tonnes 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 tonnes 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, Ms. 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.

“Qatar Airways’ new daily service will boost tourism, providing an additional 245,000 seats per year, generating an estimated 3,000 jobs and contributing more than AUD$240 million to the Australian economy.

“It will also foster trade, providing greater air cargo capacity and access to the Middle East. Australian exports to Doha grew by 23 per cent last year, and the State of Qatar’s high demand for livestock, cereal, meat, dairy products and crops provides a significant opportunity for Australian exporters.”

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Mr. Stuart Ayres said: “I am delighted to welcome the first Qatar Airways flight to Sydney, which will provide a valuable increase in aviation capacity from the Middle East and greater connectivity to Sydney and regional NSW, particularly for travellers flying from the United Kingdom and Europe via Doha.

“Through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, we look forward to working with Qatar Airways and the opportunity to showcase our beautiful city, award-winning restaurants, stunning beaches and surrounding NSW regions to customers of one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.”

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.

Daily Flight Schedule:

DOH-SYD QR908 Departs: 2010 Arrives: 1805+1
SYD-DOH QR909 Departs: 2220 Arrives: 0505+1

Notes to Editors:
Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Now in its 19th year of operations, Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 177 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents.

Qatar Airways won Airline of the Year, Best Business Class Airline Seat and Best Airline in the Middle East at the 2015 Skytrax Awards. This is the third time the airline won the accolade of Airline of the Year.

Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld global alliance. The award-winning alliance was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance 2015 by Skytrax for the third year running. Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance,oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Qatar Airways launched Oryx One in 2015, an enhanced interface for its inflight entertainment system, increasing the number of movies and TV shows on board from 950 to up to 3,000. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, A350, A380, A319 as well as select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the five-star airline’s on-board Wifi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s third largest cargo carrier, serves more than 45 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide via its Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations globally on 177 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet now includes eight Airbus 330Fs, eight Boeing 777 freighters and one Boeing 747 freighter.

For more information, visit our homepage www.qatarairways.com or our sites on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and YouTube.

For images please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/qatarairways/albums/72157665358859715

For Qatar Airways corporate images, please click here: http://www.qatarairways.com/corporateimages

For further information contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 40222072, Fax: +974 40225350
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Website: www.qatarairways.com

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