MELBOURNE – First there was Emirates. Then there was Etihad. Now a third Middle East carrier, Qatar Airways, has entered the Australian market and will be seeking to lure business away from Qantas and Singapore Airlines on the kangaroo route to the UK and Europe.
The new Melbourne-Doha route signals the beginning of Qatar Airways’ operations to Australia. The carrier plans to launch flights to Sydney next year.
Qatar Airways is operating its newest aircraft – a Boeing 777-200LR delivered less than four weeks ago – on the route, flying initially three-times-a-week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The Doha-based airline takes delivery of another Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft direct from Boeing’s Seattle manufacturing base this month and will use the aircraft on the Melbourne route, stepping up frequency to daily from January 1, 2010.
Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker said, “We are entering the Australian market at a time of continued growth for an airline despite the current economic climate when many airlines worldwide are consolidating and retrenching.
“With over 220 aircraft worth more than US$40 billion on order for delivery over the next few years, as well as a brand new airport under construction in the airline’s home city of Doha, Qatar Airways is moving from strength to strength.”
Al Baker said that Qatar Airways was looking forward to establishing a strong foothold in the Australian market, aiming to do so with the quickest scheduled flight times – 21 hours, 40 minutes, including a short transit in Doha – between Melbourne and London, its biggest market.
