Qatar
Airways, the second-biggest Arab carrier, will launch three new routes to
Kigali, Perth and Zagreb as it looks to increase its share in the lucrative
long-haul market, its CEO has said.
The
carrier, which has more than $50bn worth of aircraft on order, will launch its
new route to Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, on March 21, Zagreb on May 9
and Perth on July 3, the airline said in a statement on Wednesday.
“In
keeping with our highly focused and tailored growth strategy to enter
underserved and thriving markets all over the world, the latest additions very
much match our plans to open up a host of new destinations,” Akbar Al Baker,
CEO of Qatar Airways, said.
The
announcement follows a day after the airline launched its premium lounge at
London Heathrow as it looks to boost traffic between Doha and the UK capital.
The new
facility, located in Terminal 4, is the airline’s first of its kind outside of
Doha, and part of its wider plans to step up passenger convenience on one of
its busiest routes.
Qatar
Airways is among a trio of Gulf airlines expanding its route network as it
looks to build up the region as a global hub. The airline, which has long
competed with Etihad and Emirates, plans to roll up to 15 new routes this year,
Al Baker told Arabian Business in November.
“We are
going to add three more new destinations within a few weeks into Iran so that
we serve that very large market in a very strong way,” he said. “We are also
planning to go to Perth, Zagreb, Belgrade, Kiev, Helsinki, St Petersburg and
many other destinations within the next 12 months. Fifteen new destinations in
the next 12 months.”
The
Doha-based carrier currently operates scheduled flights to 110 destinations
across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South
America.
The
airline in November placed a $6.5bn with France’s Airbus at the Dubai Airshow.
The deal included 50 orders for A320neo worth $4.6bn, plus options for another
30.
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