Qatari national carrier, Qatar Airways has announced that Philadelphia will be the first destination the airline will fly to in the USA with its A350 XWB aircraft.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Airspace in the Middle East must have the flexibility to deal with the region’s rapid aviation growth, a subject that was highlighted in the Strategy Summit on the opening day of the inaugural Routes Middle East & Africa forum in Bahrain.
Al Qahtani Group (linked to Gulf Air) and Qatar Airways were both selected in late 2012 to bring new competition into the Saudi Arabian domestic market as part of a series of reforms. Both have been working with the local regulator to establish their respective businesses, Saudi Gulf Airlines and Al Maha Airways, but despite an initial suggestion these carriers would take-off by the end of 2013, we are still awaiting their arrival into the local skies.
Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar Al Baker said that the airline would like to operate up to two passenger flights daily if there were no bilateral constraints, but the airline is thwarted by the Dutch government which refuses to give extra landing rights to the three major Gulf carriers.
The Doha-based airline will be launching the extra widebody aircraft on the route from October 1, 2015, alongside its existing Boeing 787 Dreamliner service on one of the two double-daily flights to Munich. From November 1, 2015, the second daily flight will also be operated by the A350.
The group has disputed the evidence and conclusions that unfair subsidies are being provided by the Gulf States to Gulf carriers contained in the White Paper which has been prepared by American Airlines, Delta and United.
Al Baker used the briefing to clarify Qatar Airways' position, debunk accusations of subsidy and demonstrate the broad public benefits of the existing Open Skies Agreements. He also noted that Open Skies agreements go well beyond the interests of the Big Three citing numerous American companies and groups, which support Open Skies, including US airports, travel and trade groups, consumer groups and other US airlines.
The Emirates boss spoke forcefully about the open skies row, in which the American carriers have claimed that Emirates, Etihad and Qatar have all received $44 billion in subsidies from their governments, and are planning to seek US government action against them.
Qatar Airways is the launch customer for the A350XWB, and currently remains the only airline to fly the world’s newest widebody aircraft. Following its introduction to service to Frankfurt in Germany, Singapore is only the second route for the type which is configured in a two-class arrangement seating 26 passengers in Business Class and 247 in Economy.
The announced growth from Qatar Airways is sure to further anger the bosses of the three US majors – American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines – which are understood to remain disappointed at the level and speed of the US governments reaction to its claim of unfair state subsidies at the Gulf airlines.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
The US departments have said the allegations from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines through its ‘Partnership for Open and Fair Skies’ coalition of around $42 billion in unfair state subsidies to Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways deserves a public hearing, so arguments from both sides will be collected in a public forum, on a regulatory website.
The arrival of the second A380 on the Doha- London route from July 1, 2015 reinforces Qatar Airways’ presence in the United Kingdom, with six flights a day between the two cities in addition to daily direct services from Doha to Edinburgh from May and double daily services to Manchester. The three-class aircraft will be operated on the ‘QR001/002’ flight.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Currently, the airline operates a Boeing 787 on the route with 254 seats, though from August 1, 2015, Qatar Airways with replace the 787 with a 777, bringing the total capacity to 335 seats.
The mystic spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean will take the total number of destinations in the airline’s African network to 20 cities. The new destination is a popular island holiday spot for leisure travellers with its white sandy beaches, abundant wild life, rich culture and long history.
France and Germany are leading a call for the European Union to ensure fair competition between EU airlines and those from the Gulf region, who are accused of receiving major state backing.
While urging the US government to engage in consultations with the UAE and Qatar to address the capacity of the Gulf carriers into the United States, there is a call from the US majors for the US government to immediately call on these countries to halt the creation of any new routes into US market until the consultations are complete.
Qatar Airways first launched services to Pakistan twenty years ago when flights to Karachi commenced in 1995. It subsequently introduced direct links to Peshawar in 1995, Lahore in 1999 and Islamabad in 2004 and currently operates 45 flights a week into the country.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
Every month Routesonline provides an update on the current schedules of five latest aircraft programmes, highlighting the routes the types are being deployed upon.
The US airlines claim that the Gulf giants have received around $42 billion in subsidies and are able to use these to operate with lower loads and offering lower fares, enticing passengers onto their own services. Delta Air Lines has been the most vocal of the three US carriers and how they have skewed the competitive landscape in Europe and the US.
