Qatar Airways Celebrates Five Years of Flying to New York

NEW YORK, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Qatar Airways today marks five years of five-star service to New York.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120626/NY31221 )

The route also signifies the carrier's foray into North America in 2007, with New York as the first US city on its route map.

Qatar Airways has since expanded its suite of destinations to the continent with a further five gateways including daily services to Washington (DC), Houston, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, and thrice weekly to Montreal.

In three weeks time the airline will also mark five years of service to Washington, DC (IAD).

Both New York and Washington have been solid performing routes for the airline, offering passengers its signature award-winning five star service onboard as well as high connectivity to diverse business and leisure destinations.

With the airline's diverse range of destinations, passengers from the US can connect onwards to over 85 destinations across India, Africa, Asia the Middle East and Australia from the airline's hub in Doha.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: "When we commenced operations to the US it was a landmark moment for the airline. The Doha – JFK service connects our passengers traveling from Qatar and a sizeable part of our route map to the world's financial capital.

"The route is a pillar in the airline's expansive route map and we thank our dedicated customers who have contributed to the success of Qatar Airways' presence in the US," said Al Baker.

As one of the world's fastest growing airlines, Qatar Airways has focused on expanding its route map and offering passengers seamless connections to underserved and emerging markets.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President for the Americas, Bart Vos, said: "The airline has enjoyed great success in its five years of operations in the US, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for their continued support, loyalty and appreciation of our award-winning Five Star in-flight product."

The New York – Doha nonstop journey is approximately 12 hours and is operated with the airline's flagship Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, in a cabin configuration offering 42 seats in Business Class and 293 seats in Economy Class.  Business Class customers can relax and unwind in a seat that converts into a fully-flat horizontal bed, and Economy Class customers can settle into their comfort zone in a spacious 3-3-3 seating configuration.

In keeping with extending its five star services not just in the skies but on the ground as well, last May Qatar Airways moved its operations to one of the newest airport facilities at JFK, the spacious and modern Terminal 8.

Qatar Airways currently operates flights to a global network of 116 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America with a modern fleet of 109 aircraft.

Since the beginning of the year, Qatar Airways has launched flights to six destinations – Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia); Erbil (Iraq); Baghdad (Iraq);  with many more planned during 2012 offering customers greater choice.

Over the next few months, Qatar Airways launches services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Perth, Australia (July 3); Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (July 25); Mombasa, Kenya (August 15); Yangon, Myanmar (October 3); Maputo in Mozambique (October 30) and to the Serbian capital Belgrade on a date yet to be announced.

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Notes to Editors:

Qatar Airways currently has orders worth over US$50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 Family of aircraft. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. In addition to winning Skytrax's prestigious Airline of the Year 2011 award last summer, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the sixth year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best Premium Service Airport for the second consecutive year in 2012. For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com

SOURCE Qatar Airways