Qatar Airways to provide direct daily flights from Doha to the Welsh capital

Qatar Airways to provide direct daily flights from Doha to the Welsh capital

  • New route to provide direct daily service from Doha to the Welsh capital
  • Qatar Airways to be first Gulf carrier to service Cardiff
  • Airline continues its ambitious expansion plans, with 26 new routes being launched through 2018

DOHA, Qatar, 2017-Sep-15 — /Travel PR News/ — Qatar Airways is pleased to announce that it will launch direct daily flights to Cardiff commencing 1 May 2018, making the award-winning airline the first Gulf carrier to service Wales and Southwest England.

Cardiff is a strategically important destination for Qatar Airways as it opens up a new portion of the United Kingdom to the airline, as well as allowing more people to visit the great city of Cardiff from the Gulf and even further afield. Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is one of the most compelling tourist destinations in the UK, with countless museums and exhibitions, a thriving music scene and world-class sporting events regularly on show at the Principality Stadium.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new route to the Welsh capital. Many travellers currently fly to and from London using ground transport between London and Cardiff, and the launch of direct service will allow passengers to fly directly from Wales and the Southwest to Doha and beyond for the first time. We look forward to offering both business and leisure travellers this convenient connection to Cardiff and points beyond.”

Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales, said: “The daily service between Cardiff and Doha is a huge boost for Wales. It will open up Wales’ links with the rest of the world and deliver new economic, leisure and travel opportunities for Welsh businesses and the people of Wales. Providing a direct route into the world’s fastest growing hub airport, Hamad International Airport, will also bring Wales closer to leading global markets such as India, China, Singapore and Australasia.”

Cardiff Airport Chief Executive Officer Deb Barber, said: “I am immensely proud that world-class airline Qatar Airways has recognised the potential that exists within the region and chosen Cardiff Airport to operate a daily service. The service opens up a world of connectivity for our customers to destinations across Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Asia.

“More than 1.4 million passengers per year from the region travel to destinations that are available on the Qatar Airways network – 90 per cent of these passengers are currently travelling from London airports, which emphasises just how much demand exists within the market. We look forward to developing our fruitful relationship with Qatar Airways over the coming months and to the start of this exciting new route in May 2018.”

The route was first announced earlier this year and is a transformative one for Cardiff Airport, as it will open up the Gulf region for passengers from South Wales and Southwest England for the first time. Travellers to and from Australia and Southeast Asia are also set to benefit from the daily long-haul flights via Doha.

The new service between Doha and Cardiff will be served by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with 22 seats in Business Class, offering passengers direct aisle access with its 1-2-1 configuration, and 232 seats in Economy Class.

Onboard the Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner, lower altitude-equivalent pressure, improved air-quality and optimal humidity coupled with large, electronically dimmable windows create dramatic vistas and provide passengers with extra natural light. Full-spectrum LED lighting will help them adjust to changing time zones, allowing passengers to arrive at their destination feeling refreshed.

Cardiff is one of 26 new routes announced by Qatar Airways planned for the remainder of this year and 2018, including Chiang Mai, Thailand; Canberra, Australia and San Francisco, US, to name a few. The airline connects travellers to more cities in Europe than ever before, with recent launches to Kyiv, Prague, Skopje and Dublin, to name just a few.

Qatar Airways currently serves London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh, with Cardiff to be the airline’s fifth destination in the UK.

Qatar Airways was awarded a number of major accolades this year, including Airline of the Year at the prestigious 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards, held at the Paris Air Show in June. This is the fourth time that Qatar Airways has been given this global recognition. As well as being voted Best Airline by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national flag carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.

Flight Schedules:

Doha (DOH) to Cardiff (CWL) QR 321 departs 07:25 arrives 12:50 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

Cardiff (CWL) to Doha (DOH) QR 322 departs 15:55 arrives 00:50 (+1) (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

Doha (DOH) to Cardiff (CWL) QR 323 departs 01:15 arrives 06:40 (Tue, Thu, Sun)

Cardiff (CWL) to Doha (DOH) QR 324 departs 08:10 arrives 17:05 (Tue, Thu, Sun)

for images : https://www.flickr.com/photos/qatarairways/albums/72157686507100043

Notes to Editors:

About Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 150 business and leisure destinations. The world’s fast growing airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network in 2017/18, including Dublin, Nice, Skopje, Sarajevo and many more, flying passengers on board its modern fleet of 200 aircraft.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently named Airline of the Year by the 2017 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named World’s Best Business Class, Best Airline in the Middle East, and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.

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.

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, 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 2018 and 2022 World Cups, 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, the world’s third largest international cargo carrier, serves 60 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations globally with 200 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes eight Airbus A330 freighters and 12 Boeing 777 freighters.

For further information, please contact:

Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department

Tel: +974 4022 2200

SOURCE: QATAR AIRWAYS