Qatar Airways Boss Highlights Merits of Central and Eastern European Markets

The Chief Executive Officer of Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, has spelled out the strategic importance of the airline’s ongoing expansion in Central and Eastern Europe following last week’s route launch to Sofia. The latest route launch of scheduled flights to Bulgaria’s capital city complements the airline’s earlier services to neighbouring Bucharest and Budapest with the Gulf carrier now flying to three strategic cities in this emerging part of Europe.

Highly underserved by long-haul international airlines, the central eastern European countries of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania have created a formidable business opportunity for Qatar Airways in the space of just nine months. With four-flights-a-week operating between Doha and Sofia via Bucharest, and daily services linking the Qatari capital with Budapest, the airline now flies 10-times-a-week to three key cities within the region. The Romanian capital Bucharest was previously tagged with the airline’s Budapest services at the time of launch in January, but has now been switched to link-up with Sofia. The Doha – Budapest flights now operate non-stop.

Qatar Airways now flies to 26 destinations across Europe following the addition of the dynamic Balkan metropolis to its ever-growing global network spanning over 100 destinations worldwide. Sofia also becomes the fifth European route launched by Qatar Airways this year – together with Bucharest and Budapest, the others being Stuttgart and Venice. The European expansion drive continues next month with the launch of flights to the Norwegian capital Oslo.

Speaking at a press conference in the Bulgarian capital, Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways, said that the airline had undergone phenomenal expansion since the beginning of the year with ten new destinations covering vibrant underserved markets in Europe, Middle East, India and Canada.

Highlighting the latest route launch, he said: “Direct Qatar Airways’ flights from Sofia to Doha and beyond will give Bulgarian businesses and tourists the ideal gateway into key markets of eastbound destinations that we serve, offering convenient connections to numerous destinations including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, China and Australia. And travellers to Bulgaria will be given easier access to this market, which holds considerable potential for businesses, as well as tourism that Qatar Airways looks forward to tap into."

"Our rapid footprint in this part of Europe this year has given travellers to and from Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, much improved travel options to a wider market, avoiding the need to travel through congested European airports to get to their final destination. It has been a conscious decision to open up routes in central eastern Europe, with the latest addition of Bulgaria demonstrating our commitment to the region which we strongly believe has great potential and will remain an important part of Qatar Airways’ growth strategy going forward," he added.

Bulgaria is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the region, offering a wide range of activities for visitors to experience, ranging from cultural and historical sightseeing, to the stunning beach hotels of the Black Sea and skiing facilities in the picturesque Pirin Mountains. The country has also been a popular health resort spot since Roman times due to the country’s abundance in healing mineral springs, of which there are over 600.

Since the route was announced in March, Qatar Airways says it has received positive response from the Bulgarian travel trade and corporate market and remains the only Gulf carrier serving Sofia.

By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to serve more than 120 key business and leisure destinations worldwide with a fleet of over 120 aircraft. Today, the airline’s fleet stands at 98 aircraft, flying to more than 100 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.