Qatar Airways displays 'strength, resilience and commitment' amid pandemic challenges

(MENAFN- Gulf Times)

Year-end Review

At the height of the global Covid-19 pandemic this year, when many airlines around the globe grounded their aircraft and closed their routes, national carrier Qatar Airways kept flying, adding more destinations and meeting the needs of thousands of passengers.
In tackling one of the most challenging and extraordinary 12 months in the airline's nearly 25-year history, Qatar Airways has displayed its strength, resilience and commitment.
Qatar Airways played a key role providing lifeline to many during the pandemic, delivering vaccines, PPE, medical equipment and even e-commerce.
This year, Qatar Airways won the 'Airline of the Year' at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax.
2021 also saw Qatar Airways becoming the 'first global airline in the world' to achieve the 'prestigious' five-star Covid-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax.
The national airline's home and hub Hamad International Airport (HIA) was named the 'World's Best Airport' in the Skytrax 2021 World Airport Awards.
HIA has been steadily rising in the 'World's Best Airports' rankings since the start of its operations in 2014.
Hamad International Airport expansion is one month ahead of schedule and will be completed by September 2022, boosting annual passenger capacity by 20mn.
Qatar Airways was the first GCC carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.
Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world's leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight in the belly-hold deck of passenger aircraft to an extensive network.
Recently, Qatar Airways became the first carrier to make a transaction on the IATA Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) using IATA Clearing House (ICH).
The IATA Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) is a centralised marketplace where airlines and other aviation stakeholders can trade CO2 emission reduction units for compliance or voluntary offsetting purposes. With a secure and easy to use trading environment, ACE offers the highest transparency in terms of price and availability of emission reduction units while simplifying the process for air carriers to access carbon markets to achieve their decarbonisation targets.
Last month, Qatar Airways said it was looking at carbon-neutral growth and seeks the help of fuel suppliers to give affordable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Group Chief Executive HE Akbar al-Baker said at a media event at the Doha International Airport in November,“We are already are giving a good value for money to our passengers with the kind of product we offer. At the same time it is important for us that our growth should remain carbon-neutral.”
Al-Baker had also said Qatar Airways was going to“imminently place” a large freighter order to meet the needs of the national airline's cargo business.
'We are seriously looking at placing a large cargo order, a freighter order, because ... as we are also growing our freight business, we need to be sustainable in that and we are going to imminently place a large freighter order,' al-Baker said.
In November, Qatar Airways showcased its role as a global launch customer for the latest generation Boeing 777-9 aircraft after welcoming the ultra-modern, fuel efficient jet to Doha International Airport (DIA).
The aircraft, which is anticipated to join the award-winning airline's fleet in the near future, will be the world's largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, delivering 20% lower fuel consumption and emissions than previous generation aircraft. Key technologies enabling this efficiency are its new carbon-fibre composite wing, new engines and natural laminar flow nacelles.
Recently, British Airways and Qatar Airways marked the 'next milestone' in their Joint Business Partnership, as they announce their intent to extend their Joint Business.
This month, Qatar Executive, the private jet charter division of Qatar Airways Group, took delivery of a further three Gulfstream G650ER aircraft, reaffirming its position as the largest owner-operator of the ultramodern jet, with a total of 11 in its fleet. All three aircraft will operate on strategic ultra-long-haul routes to Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
In November, Qatar Airways brought its Airbus A380 aircraft back into operation to alleviate fleet capacity challenges for the winter peak season.
It was for the first time in more than 18 months earlier this week that a Qatar Airways Airbus A380 took to the skies, positioning the aircraft from Doha International Airport (DIA) to Hamad International Airport (HIA) after the airline reluctantly took the decision to welcome the fleet back into operation due to ongoing capacity shortage.
Al-Baker said,“When it comes to the preparation for Hamad International Airport, we are on target. We are going to increase the capacity (annual) of the airport by 20mn passengers – to cater to over 58mn passengers. It is a world class facility that we are putting up- and as a matter of fact we don't want to be number two anymore.”
“We always want to be the best airport in the world. And this is exactly what we are aiming for… and this is what we will deliver.”
Qatar Airways' ambition to bring people together through the power of sport and to support the communities in which it operates continued this year, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.
As 'Official Airline Partner' of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 the national carrier is looking forward to being the airline that will fly millions of football fans to Qatar for the tournament.
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