Qatar Airways to launch Flights to Guangzhou

Qatar Airways is to launch flights to the southern Chinese industrial port city of Guangzhou from the start of the summer flying season.

Beginning March 31, the Doha-based airline will operate four flights-a-week non-stop using an Airbus A330 aircraft in a two-class configuration of up to 24 seats in Business Class and a maximum 248 in Economy.

The addition of Guangzhou strengthens Qatar Airways’ China network, where it already flies to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong with a total of 16 flights a week. Guangzhou takes the airline’s capacity into China up to 20 flights a week. From May 1, Qatar Airways will add a fifth weekly service to Guangzhou.

Guangzhou has a population of around 10 million people and is the capital of Guangdong province. Situated on the Pearl River, the city is only 120 kilometres northwest of China’s thriving business city - Hong Kong.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said Guangzhou would complement the airline’s daily services to Hong Kong, offering business and leisure travellers an exciting opportunity to visit two key Chinese cities in such close proximity to each other.

“China is, and will continue to be, a strategically vital part of Qatar Airways’ expansion plans – and no serious airline can afford to ignore a country with a thriving and buoyant economy,” he said. 

“Since we entered the China market four years ago, we have gradually introduced new routes and increased capacity into this exciting country.

“First with Beijing, followed by Shanghai, then Hong Kong, we are set to further widen our presence in China by adding the southern industrial city of Guangzhou to our rapidly growing international network. It is a historic move for Qatar Airways as we will be the first airline from the Gulf to operate into Guangzhou.”

Qatar Airways’ China operation currently includes daily flights to Hong Kong; four weekly services to Beijing; and five services a week to Shanghai.

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