Qatar Airways launches Doha-Melbourne flights thrice a week

The Doha Melbourne flights would be made daily from January 1, 2010

Qatar Airways, the flag-carrier airline of Qatar, has started flights between Doha, the capital of Qatar, and Melbourne, in Australia.

The Doha-Melbourne service initially operates 3 flights a week – on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The frequency will be increased to daily flights from January 1, 2010.

Qatar Airways, based in Doha, says it is using a new Boeing 777-200LR (Long Range) aircraft, delivered less than 4 weeks ago, on the route. The airline will take delivery of another Boeing 777-200 Long Range jet in December 2009, to be used when the Doha-Melbourne flights will be stepped up to a daily service from January 1, 2010.

According to Qatar Airways, the Boeing 777-200LR has 42 seats in the business-class and 217 seats in the economy-class. The 2–2–2 configured seats in the business-class convert into 180-degree horizontal flat-beds, each with a 78-inch pitch. In the economy-class, the 3–3–3 configuration would mean one seat less per row, compared with Qatar Airways’ competitors, and a seat pitch of up to 34 inches.

Qatar Airways Flight QR030 takes off from Doha International Airport on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 12.45 p.m. ands land in Melbourne International Airport at 10.25 p.m. In the return direction, Flight QR031 leaves Melbourne International Airport on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11.55 p.m. and reaches Doha at 6.25 a.m. the following day.

From January 1, 2010, Qatar Airways Flight QR030 will leave Doha International Airport daily at 12.45 p.m. and will arriver at Melbourne International Airport at 10.25 p.m. On the return leg, Flight QR031 will take off daily from Melbourne International Airport at 11.55 p.m. and land in Doha International Airport at 6.25 a.m. the next day.

In a statement, Qatar Airways said the new Doha-Melbourne route not only signals the start of the carrier’s operations to Australia but also adds another continent to its “rapidly expanding” global network.

Melbourne has become Qatar Airways’ 85^th destination. It is also the airline’s 4^th new route of 2009.

Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways, said in the statement that the launching of the service to Melbourne, prior to the busy holiday season, ends a year of excellent growth for carrier.

The airline launched flights to services to Houston (Texas, the United States) and to Goa and Amritsar (in India) in 2009.

Qatar Airways says it has plans to launch service to Sydney, in Australia, in 2010.

Akbar Al Baker said Qatar Airways is aiming to provide the fastest and most convenient scheduled flight times between Melbourne and London – at 21 hours and 40 minutes, including a short transit in Doha.

Qatar Airways operates one-stop flights from Australia to a number of destinations in Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

The airline, which flies to 85 cities worldwide, has a fleet of 72 aircraft at present.

Qatar Airways says its fleet strength will rise to over 120 aircraft by 2013 and the destinations served are planned to go up to over 120 in the next 5 years.