Qatar Airways launches Flights to Melbourne

Qatar Airways has launched flights between Doha and Melbourne. The new route signals the beginning of Qatar Airways’ operations to Australia, and adds another continent to the airline’s rapidly expanding global network. Melbourne becomes the airline’s 85th destination and fourth new route of 2009. The carrier plans to launch flights to Sydney next year.

Qatar Airways is operating its newest aircraft – a Boeing 777-200LR delivered less than four weeks ago – on the route, flying initially three-times-a-week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The Doha-based airline takes delivery of another Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft direct from Boeing’s Seattle manufacturing base this month and will use the aircraft on the Melbourne route, stepping up frequency to daily from 1 January 2010.

The launch of flights to Melbourne ahead of the busy holiday season ends a year of further growth for the airline, which also launched services to Houston and both Amritsar and Goa in India during 2009.

Qatar Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akbar Al Baker said that Qatar Airways was looking forward to establishing a strong foothold in the Australian market, aiming to do so with the quickest scheduled flight times between Melbourne and London, its biggest market. At 21 hours, 40 minutes, including a short transit in Doha, Qatar Airways will offer Melbournians a new way of travelling to the UK.

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