DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways wrapped up a successful presence at the airline industry’s first air show of the year in Bahrain on Saturday. Hundreds of guests were welcomed on board the three Qatar Airways display aircraft, dozens of high-level meetings with industry and political leaders took place and many international media interviews were conducted at the airline’s premium chalet.

Perhaps the highlight of the show was the celebration of the first year of operations of the A350, for which Qatar Airways was the global launch customer. In addition to the A350, Qatar Airways displayed two other aircraft at the show – the A380 super jumbo and a striking Gulfstream G650ER, the latest addition to the Qatar Executive fleet.

A red carpet event took place on day one of the air show to mark the celebration of the airline’s first year of A350 operations. In attendance were Qatar’s Minister of Transportation, His Excellency Mr. Jassim Al Sulaiti; Chairman of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority Mr. Abdullah Nasser Turki Al Subaey; Qatar’s Ambassador to Bahrain, His Excellency Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani; Director General of General United Arab of Emirates Civil Aviation Authority, His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi; President & CEO of Airbus, Mr. Fabrice Brégier and; Director General of Qatar Aeronautical College, His Excellency Sheikh Jabor bin Hamad Al Thani. The prestigious guests were accompanied on board by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker.

“Qatar Airways is delighted to have once again participated in the Bahrain International Airshow, with our significant brand presence and the opportunity for us to showcase the best of our fleet,” said H.E. Mr. Al Baker. “It is also a pleasure to network and bolster relationships with industry partners from international airlines and aircraft manufacturers in an exclusive airshow environment, against a backdrop of the latest trends and innovations in aerospace technology.”

Discussing 2016 industry outlook with members of the media, H.E. Mr. Al Baker spelled out Qatar Airways’ plans for expansion, to include new services to Sydney and Adelaide in Australia, and Boston and Atlanta in the United States. Powering these new routes will be the continued introduction of new aircraft, at the rate of one plane every 10 days in 2016.

Qatar Airways took delivery of the very first A350 in December 2014, and started service in January 2015 between Doha and Frankfurt, Germany. The A350 is the latest design in aircraft technology, and sports the signature “Zorro” mask wind screen that distinguishes it from all other aircraft.

Hundreds of visitors and guests enjoyed traditional Qatar Airways hospitality during the show, including members of travel trade, media and global aviation enthusiasts. Qatar Airways hosted many tours of its aircraft, welcoming more than 300 people on board aircraft that represent the high standards and modern design of the rest of the fleet.

Qatar Airways operates a young and modern fleet of 175 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to more than 150 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Americas. The airline started 2016 on a high note with the launch of flights to Los Angeles. Other new destinations to be launched in 2016 include the second-largest city in the UK, Birmingham on 30 March, UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah on 2 February, and Yerevan on 15 May.

Nearly 100 air show visitors toured Qatar Airways’ latest aircraft – a new addition to the Qatar Executive fleet - the Gulfstream G650ER, over the course of the air show. The Gulfstream G650ER flies further and faster than any other executive jet in the world, and can accommodate up to 13 passengers comfortably. The aircraft can fly non-stop from the Middle East to North America or from destinations in Asia to Africa and is perfectly suited for those whose travel needs include flying halfway around the globe.

For Images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/qatarairways/albums/72157663190105219

Notes to Editors:

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Now in its 19th year of operations, Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 175 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents. Qatar Airways won Airline of the Year, Best Business Class Airline Seat and Best Airline in the Middle East at the 2015 Skytrax Awards. This is the third time the airline won the accolade of Airline of the Year.

Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld global alliance. The award-winning alliance was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance 2015 by Skytrax for the third year running. Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance, oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Qatar Airways launched Oryx One in 2015, an enhanced interface for its inflight entertainment system, increasing the number of movies and TV shows on board from 950 to up to 2,000. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, A350, A380, A319 as well as select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the five-star airline’s on-board Wifi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s third largest cargo carrier, serves more than 40 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide via its Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations globally on 175 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet now includes seven Airbus 330, eight Boeing 777 freighters and one Boeing 747 freighter.

For more information, visit our homepage www.qatarairways.com or our sites on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and YouTube.

For Qatar Airways corporate images, please click here: http://www.qatarairways.com/corporateimages

For further information contact:

Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 40222072, Fax: +974 40225350
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Website: www.qatarairways.com