Qatar Airways launches Innovative and Unique Inflight Immigration Service

Passengers travelling on Qatar Airways’ flights to Cairo are being offered a unique service to assist with the speedy process of immigration formalities prior to arrival in the Egyptian capital.

All Qatar Airways flights operating from Doha to Cairo until August 15 will have a high-ranking Egyptian immigration officer onboard to stamp passengers’ passports inflight.

The entry clearance procedures prior to arrival in Cairo have been introduced to cope with the summer rush and offer passengers a hassle-free service. On arrival at Cairo International Airport, passengers will avoid the need to queue up at immigration desks.

The service is available on each of the daily scheduled flights between Doha, the airline’s operational hub and capital of the State of Qatar, and Cairo. Qatar Airways is laying on seven additional special flights between July 7 – 15 on the Cairo route to coincide with school teachers’ holidays. An Egyptian immigration officer will also be onboard these extra flights.

On the return sector from Cairo to Doha, Egyptian immigration officials will sit alongside Qatar Airways check-in staff and provide passport exit stamps to avoid passengers queuing up at immigration counters when leaving the country.

The service has been made possible following consultation with Cairo Airport Police and the Passport Directorate in Egypt.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the service was unique in the Middle East and one of the first, if not the first, anywhere in the world.

“Airports around the world get extremely congested during peak travel periods, so anything we, as an airline, can do to ease the problems and ensure the smooth flow of passengers through the necessary airport formalities, can only be good news,” he said.

“No one could have ever imagined having immigration officers carrying out their duties inflight. This is just one route, but we hope such a service could be extended on other routes over time in conjunction with the relevant authorities in these markets.”

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