Airline Introduces Service With Brand New Boeing 777s From October 26, Lie-Flat Seats In Business Class Key Feature Of New Route Doha – Geneva Capacity Increased With Rescheduling Of New York Operations.

Doha, Qatar (August 28, 2008) /China Newswire/ — 25 August 2008, Qatar Airways announced its Doha – New York route will operate non-stop with a daily flight, effective from the beginning of the winter 2008 schedules on October 26.

The airline plans to deploy its brand new Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft on the route shaving close to three hours off the current 17-hour flying time between Doha and New York. Qatar Airways currently operates to the New York gateway city of Newark via Geneva.

As part of the revised operational schedules, Qatar Airways will switch its existing six-flights-a-week between Doha and Newark Liberty International Airport to New York's JFK Airport and step up frequency to daily non-stop services giving passengers greater choice.

Under the new schedules, Qatar Airways will no longer operate flights between Geneva and New York, but will significantly increase seat capacity between Doha and Geneva, which will become a dedicated service.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the airline had seen significant growth in traffic on the New York route since launching it in June 2007.

"As we have introduced more aircraft into our fleet, we have been able to increase frequency on the New York route from four-flights-a-week to six services in just 12 months," he said.

"We are now preparing to go daily with our brand new Boeing 777s featuring lie-flat Business Class seats from October and offer unprecedented levels of space and comfort, which will truly give us an edge over our competitors in the Middle East and around the world.

"The move to New York's JFK Airport is in response to passenger demand flying to one of America's premier airports on the US east coast."

The Boeing 777-300ER will offer a 78-inch Business Class pitch in a 2-2-2 configuration across the 42 premium seats and up to 34-inch pitch on the 293 seats in the economy cabin. The aircraft also features the next generation in-flight entertainment system – the Panasonic eX2 – with more than 700 individual audio and video entertainment options.

Added Al Baker: "Qatar Airways is committed to the Swiss market and is delighted with the huge response and popularity of our Geneva service which has enabled us to add capacity as the four-times-a-week non-stop service from Doha using an Airbus A330 aircraft becomes a dedicated route.

"Passengers from Geneva and neighbouring cities will be able to take advantage of our excellent array of onward connections over Doha to key business and leisure cities to the Far East and south Asia.

"For the immediate future, our existing flights to Zurich will continue to operate four-times-a-week, but we will shortly be announcing additional frequencies to both Zurich and Geneva with effect from 2009 offering yet more choice for both business and leisure travellers."

Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of 62 aircraft to 83 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, south Asia, Indian subcontinent, Far East and North America.

Earlier this year, the airline began scheduled services between Doha and the southern Chinese industrial city of Guangzhou. During the summer, the airline introduced daily flights linking the Qatari capital with Kozhikode in southern India.

Starting December 8, Qatar Airways is to launch scheduled flights to Houston, which at 17 hours, will be one of the longest flights in the world non-stop from Doha.

The Doha – New York schedule effective October 26 is:

Depart Doha International Airport

Daily        QR083 at 0820, arrive in New York at 1500

Depart John F Kennedy International Airport

Daily        QR084 at 2235, arrive in Doha at 1910 +1 day

The Doha – Geneva schedule effective October 26 is:

Depart Doha International Airport

Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun         QR065 at 0720, arrive in Geneva at 1215

Depart Geneva International Airport

Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun        QR064 at 1345, arrive in Doha at 2135

Qatar Airways is one of an elite group of airlines with a Five Star ranking for service and excellence awarded by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry research company. Skytrax also named Qatar Airways' cabin crew as Best in the Middle East for the sixth year running in 2008 following a survey of more than 15 million passengers. During the 2007/08 financial year, Qatar Airways carried around 10 million passengers worldwide.

Qatar Airways will operate a fleet of 110 aircraft by 2013 – almost double the existing size. During 2007, Qatar Airways ordered 80 Airbus A350s, together with 60 Boeing 787s and 32 Boeing 777s. The airline has ordered five of the twin-deck Airbus A380 ‘super jumbos' for delivery from 2010. Qatar Airways moves to the New Doha International Airport in 2010, when the first phase of the new facility is due to open. For more information, visit www.ndiaproject.com

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Qatar Airways Corporate Communications Department
  Tel: +974 4496956, Fax: +974 4620132
  E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
  Website: www.qatarairways.com
  

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