Airline Plans New Route To Country’s Second Largest City
Four Services A Week Link Airline’s Doha Hub With Popular Tourist Destination In Gulf State
Carrier Already Serves Omani Capital Muscat With 31 Flights Each Week…
…And Begins New Code Share Agreement With Oman Air Increasing Capacity Between Both Countries
Doha, QATAR – 2012-11-09 — /travelprnews.com/ — Oman is a mainstay of Qatar Airways’ Middle East network, with the airline steadily increasing capacity to the neighbouring Gulf State. Currently operating 31 flights a week to the Omani capital Muscat, Qatar Airways will serve the new destination of Salalah four-times-a-week raising the airline’s frequencies to Oman to 35 services.
Tickets are bookable online at qatarairways.com, any Qatar Airways reservation office or preferred travel agent.
News of the expansion comes as Qatar Airways implements a new code share agreement with Oman Air on flights between Doha and Muscat.
With Oman Air’s thrice-daily flights between Doha and Muscat, together with Qatar Airways’ capacity on the route, passengers have plenty of flights to choose from, to and from the Sultanate.
Following on from recent announcements by Qatar Airways to launch flights to Gassim in Saudi Arabia, Najaf in Iraq, the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and the airline’s fourth US gateway of Chicago next year, the addition of Salalah demonstrates the airline’s commitment to expand to diverse destinations worldwide that are underserved, yet increasingly popular with holidaymakers and business travellers alike.
An ever-sought after tourism destination, Salalah is particularly popular with leisure travellers from Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East.
Salalah is the capital of Dhofar Governorate, which stretches over a large area in southern Oman and covers a pristine coastal strip of over 550km. The city is located about 1,000 kilometres from Muscat.
Dhofar includes a distinctive natural diversity where the coast blends with the desert and mountain range that rises to over 1,500 metres.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the latest route expands on the large variety of attractive tourism destinations offered by the award-winning airline across the Middle East.
“Salalah offers passengers travelling from our global network with yet another unique holiday option to experience and at the same time provide the convenience of two gateways within the same country,” said Al Baker.
“With this new route, passengers wishing to explore Oman at length will also be able to take advantage of different travel options, booking flights into Muscat and returning from Salalah or vice versa.
“Qatar Airways is gearing up for another solid year of expansion with new routes steadily opening up, keeping in line with our commitment to provide passengers with choice, flexibility and great value when flying with us.”
The Salalah route will operate non-stop from the airline’s hub in Doha with an Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy.
Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 111 aircraft to 120 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.
Since the beginning of 2012, Qatar Airways has launched flights to Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar); and Maputo (Mozambique).
Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Belgrade, Serbia (November 20); Warsaw, Poland (December 5), Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); and Chicago, USA (April 10).
| The DOHA – SALALAH schedules, effective 22 May 2013: | ||
| Tuesdays, Wednesdays Saturdays and Sundays | ||
| Depart Doha | QR176 at 2125 hrs | arrive Salalah at 0040 hrs following day |
| Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays | ||
| Depart Salalah | QR177 at 0920 hrs | arrive Doha at 1030 hrs |
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 Year 2011 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 second consecutive year in 2012. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. In October 2012, Qatar Airways became the first of the major Gulf carriers to officially join a global alliance having been invited into the oneworld group.
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
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Qatar Airways To Fly Four-times-a-week With An A320 To Popular Tourist Spot Salalah