Qatar Airways renews its sponsorship as Official Airline Partner to Orbis UK
The multiple award-winning airline extends its sponsorship as Official Airline Partner until 2024
DOHA, Qatar, 2021-Apr-02 — /Travel PR News/ — Qatar Airways has renewed its sponsorship as Official Airline Partner to Orbis UK for a further three years. The airline has been a proud supporter of Orbis and its blindness prevention programmes since 2012.
Orbis is a leading global charity that brings people together to fight avoidable blindness through access to quality eye care. Together with its partners, Orbis trains, mentors, and inspires eye care professionals in places with the greatest need to save and restore vision in their communities.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a unique aircraft that supports the charity’s global effort to transform lives. The world’s only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft is equipped with a state-of-the-art teaching facility complete with an operating room, classroom, and recovery room for patients. On board, Orbis’ world-class medical volunteers and clinical staff share their knowledge and expertise with local eye care teams across the globe.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways is proud to strengthen its partnership with Orbis UK for another three years as Official Airline Partner – a further testament of our unwavering commitment to giving back and supporting the global community. We recognise that the gift of sight empowers individuals to reach their full potential, and we remain steadfast supporters of the fight against avoidable blindness through our partnership with Orbis UK.”
Orbis UK Trustee, Dr. Robert Walters said: “For nine years, the Qatar Airways Group has been a generous supporter of our organisation and we’re proud to continue onto this next stage of our partnership. Thanks to Qatar Airways’ renewed support, the Orbis team will have access to free flights to programmes to continue the fight against avoidable blindness in person when it i is safe to do so. Until this point, we remain committed to supporting our partners virtually and through our in-country programmes.”
In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Orbis had to postpone its in-person Flying Eye Hospital programmes. Whilst the Flying Eye Hospital is temporarily grounded, Orbis’ mission is not. Orbis quickly pivoted to provide virtual Flying Eye Hospital programmes through their telemedicine platform Cybersight, to ensure that eye care professionals could continue to grow their skills.
Qatar Airways recently became the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. This follows HIA’s recent success as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These recognitions provides assurance to passengers across the world that airline health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.
The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 130 destinations. With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination if they need to.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and social distanced Business Class product in the sky. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 45 destinations including Johannesburg, New York and Singapore. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.
Notes to Editors:
About Qatar Airways:
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.
Hamad International Airport (HIA), the airline’s home and hub, was recently ranked “Third Best Airport in the World”, among 550 airports worldwide, by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020. Rising from fourth position in 2019 to third in 2020, HIA has been steadily rising in the ‘World’s Best Airports’ rankings since the start of its operations in 2014. In addition, HIA was voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row.
Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.
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 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.
Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.
Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message – Going Places Together.
Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft to an extensive global network. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters and 24 Boeing 777 freighters.
Qatar Executive is the private jet charter division of Qatar Airways Group. Luxury jet services are available for worldwide charter on board the operator’s wholly-owned business jet fleet. Qatar Executive is the launch customer for Gulfstream’s G700, the world’s first commercial service operator of the Gulfstream G500 and largest commercial operator of the G650ER worldwide. Qatar Executive’s service portfolio also includes aircraft management, maintenance and Fixed Based Operator services.
For further information, please contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 4022 2200
Email: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Source: Qatar Airways
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