(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Qatar Airways celebrated a successful year of robust network expansion, new aircraft deliveries and groundbreaking global sports sponsorship agreements, as it looks with anticipation to 2019.
As the first airline in the world to take delivery of the Airbus A350-1000 in February 2018, Qatar Airways proved once again that it leads where other airlines follow in providing passengers with the most technologically advanced aircraft available. As well as receiving the first Airbus A350-1000, the airline received 25 additional aircraft to the fleet throughout the year, increasing the total number in its fleet to 226.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: 'Our achievements in 2018 prove that Qatar Airways has not wavered from its strategy and vision of constant growth and development, in order to provide our passengers the finest onboard experience every time they travel. We have demonstrated that we will not rest in our determination to push the boundaries in redefining the travel experience for each and every one of our customers. 'As we conclude 2018, we remain committed to setting the highest standards of excellence and quality in the industry, and look forward to welcoming an exciting 2019.
A350-1000
In February, the airline took delivery of the world's first Airbus A350-1000 as the global launch customer of the world's most technologically advanced aircraft. The new A350-1000 went into full commercial service on the airline's Doha-London route, on which the A350-900, the A380, Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner already operate, offering six flights a day between Qatar and the United Kingdom's capital to Heathrow Airport and 16 weekly flights to London Gatwick. In the same month, the airline announced that it had upgraded five of its current order of A350-900s to the higher-capacity A350-1000.
Route Expansion
One of the world's fastest-growing airlines, Qatar Airways launched a host of exciting new destinations in 2018, including: Cardiff, United Kingdom; Canberra, Australia; Mombasa; Kenya; Gothenburg, Sweden; Da Nang, Vietnam; and Thessaloniki, Greece. The airline also launched seasonal services to Mykonos, Greece; Bodrum and Antalya, Turkey; and Málaga, Spain
The airline also added a host of new frequencies to several popular destinations including Montreal, Maldives, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Amman, Muscat, Helsinki, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Oslo, Copenhagen, Manchester and Zurich. These additions provided even more flexibility for both business and leisure passengers.
Qsuite added to routes
In 2018, Qatar Airways added its award-winning, patented Business Class seat, Qsuite, to routes including Shanghai, São Paulo, Chicago, Houston, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Canberra and Sydney.
Cargo
2018 was a highly successful year for the airline's Cargo division, with cargo volumes having increased by 10.6 per cent in 2018 compared to 2017. The highlight has been the launch of transpacific services, direct from Macau to Los Angeles and Mexico City. The cargo carrier bagged two prestigious awards in 2018 - International Cargo Airline of the Year at Air Cargo India Event and Best Air Cargo Carrier - Middle East at the Asian Freight Logistics & Supply Chain Awards.
Sponsorships
The airline signed a record-number of sporting sponsorships with top-tier teams in 2018, further cementing Qatar's role as a global centre for sport. In March, the airline signed a five-year partnership agreement with leading German football team FC Bayern München AG, further strengthening Qatar's role as a global leader in sports.
In April, Qatar Airways signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Italian football club AS Roma, further strengthening the award-winning airline's commitment to Italy. In May, Qatar Airways became the Official Jersey Sponsor of the world-renowned Argentinian football club the Boca Juniors through the 2022/23 season. In October, Qatar Airways became the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and the team's home, Barclays Center, the Brooklyn, New York venue that hosts many of the world's most exciting entertainment and sporting events. In October, Qatar Airways became Official Global Airline Partner of The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), adding another strong sporting partnership to its expanding portfolio.
FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia
As the Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA, Qatar Airways brought football fans from around the world to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, one of the most highly-anticipated events on the global sports calendar.
Oryx Kids Club
In March 2018, Qatar Airways launched the Oryx Kids Club, designed to encourage children to explore the world by making their in-flight experience even more fun and inspiring. As part of the club, the airline introduced five new hero characters: Orry the Oryx and his twin sister, Orrah; Kamil the Camel; Faaiz the Falcon, and Farah the Desert Fox.
Awards
Qatar's national carrier received a host of awards in 2018, including being named ‘World's Best Business Class' by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat,' ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,' and ‘World's Best First Class Airline Lounge.'
Qatar Airways' revolutionary Qsuite was named ‘Best Business Class' in the AirlineRatings' Airline Excellence Awards 2019. The airline's renowned dine-on-demand in flight cuisine was also named ‘Best Catering'.
The airline clinched the ‘Best Inflight Service' Award at the 29th Annual TTG Travel Awards 2018. The airline was also named the ‘Best Middle Eastern/African Airline' for the ninth consecutive year at the recent 2018 Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards.
In October, Qatar Airways won 10 new international service awards, including titles by four separate global industry leaders: Business Traveller, Kayak, Condé Nast Traveler and CJ Affiliate. The first three awards for ‘Best Long-Haul Airline', ‘Best Business Class' and ‘Best Middle East Airline', were presented to the airline at the global Business Traveller Awards 2018, held in London on 15 October.
This was followed by a further five awards for the Middle East and Africa region from global travel site, Kayak, including ‘Best Airline', ‘Best Boarding', ‘Best Comfort', ‘Best Crew' and ‘Best Food'.
The airline also received a High Commendation for the ‘Global Excellence Award' at the 2018 CJ You Awards, in California, US, followed by third place in the ‘Top Airlines International' category in the Condé Nast Traveler.
MENAFN0101201900630000ID1097908314
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.