Airline Code [QTR]
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(CAPA) Qatar Airways announced further expansion into India this year with the launch of scheduled flights to Nagpur and Ahmedabad, taking the airline's network of cities served across the country to eight.
Starting September 23, the Doha-based carrier will launch twice-weekly flights to the central Indian city of Nagpur, located in the State of Maharashtra. Qatar Airways will be the only full-service scheduled international airline flying to Nagpur.
Almost three months later, beginning December 12, Qatar Airways will start daily operations between Doha and Ahmedabad in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Both routes will be operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy.
Qatar Airways currently operates 42 flights a week to six cities across India - seven services a week to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin, Trivandrum and Hyderabad. The addition of Nagpur and Ahmedabad take the airline's Indian capacity from 42 services a week to 51 across eight cities.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said India was a key part of the airline's growth strategy, reflected by the fact that it currently has the most number of destinations than any other country in the network.
Al Baker applauded the Indian government's policy of opening up its aviation industry to more domestic and international competition which, he said, was good for the consumer. Bilateral relations between Qatar and India, he said, were strengthening and the additional routes only reinforced the commitment between both countries to step up their ties.
With the growth of the Indian economy into a potential global powerhouse and Qatar's drive to spread its economic wings, increasing air links between the two countries is of paramount importance. Bilateral trade between India and Qatar has an estimated value of just US$1 billion, the majority represented by the export of $690m worth of Qatari liquid natural gas (LNG) to India.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 58 all-Airbus aircraft to 78 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Far East, Indian subcontinent and North America. The highlight of this year's expansion has been the launch of flights to New York (Newark) and Washington DC - the airline's first move into the North American market.
Date posted: 07-Aug-07 |
Qatar Airways announces 2007 route expansion In India 
