DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways today announced a long-term partnership with HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the Official Exclusive Airline of the tournament, which is emerging as one of the most exciting cricket events in the region. The inaugural season of the league featuring key Pakistani and international cricketers will take place in Dubai and Sharjah between 4 – 23 February 2016.
HBL PSL, featuring five teams comprising of current and former Pakistani cricketing stars, as well as highly skilled and popular international players, is one of the sport’s most awaited global tournaments. After years of planning its launch this month, the tournament, which follows the popular T20 format, brings excitement to a sport which is followed by millions of fans around the world.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said that the association with HBL PSL was a great opportunity to align the passion for travel with the passion for sport.
H.E. Mr. Al Baker said: “We are excited about our association with the HBL Pakistan Super League. Qatar Airways has always championed the connectivity of sport and sporting achievement. In sport, we learn to play and win together, and travel can also teach us and inspire us to achieve together. This partnership aligns Qatar Airways’ vision to go places together with our passengers, and to be a part of their journey.”
This sports partnership is the latest in a series of key sponsorships for Qatar Airways, building on its mission to reach new fans through the power and passion of sport. Other partnerships include FC Barcelona, Al-Ahli Football Club, Qatar Open Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, and IPTL among others. The partnership with PSL also aligns with the vision of the State of Qatar in its commitment to promote sports globally and in the region.
Qatar Airways currently operates flights to seven destinations across Pakistan, non-stop from its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport – double daily flights to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, three flights a week to Multan and Faisalabad, four flights a week to Sialkot and daily flights to Peshawar. Karachi was first launched by the airline in 1995, Peshawar in 1998, Lahore in 1999, Islamabad in 2004, and Multan, Faisalabad and Sialkot in 2015.
H.E. Mr. Al Baker continued: “Qatar Airways prides itself on being an important presence in the Pakistani market where we have grown our operations rapidly over the past few years, connecting Pakistan to the rest of the world with our direct services to Doha and onwards. The launch of flights to three Pakistani destinations last year – Multan, Sialkot and Faisalabad – helped us expand our reach in Pakistan and we are proud to be flying-in some of the most popular cricketers from Pakistan to the UAE for this season’s matches.”
Chairman Pakistan Super League, Mr. Najam Sethi welcomed Qatar Airways and highlighted this as a historic moment. "The HBL Pakistan Super League is a global event and to have one of the world's leading airlines partner with us is great news. I am sure that HBL PSL fans will be equally delighted with this arrangement. Hopefully, many of our fans will make use of the excellent services that Qatar Airways has to offer as they make their travel plans to watch the first ever HBL PSL."
The opening game of HBL PSL will be preceded by an exciting opening ceremony with performances by Ali Zafar and Sean Paul.
Tickets are available online at kyazoonga.ae/psl or fans in the UAE can visit branches of AJ Sports, TCS, Al Fardan Exchange, Delhi Nihari, Kulcha King, Tandoori Junction, Sindh Punjab, Karachi Darbar and Barbecue Delights.
-ENDS-
For Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/qatarairways/sets/72157664104320591
Notes to Editors:
About Qatar Airways:
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 176 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 176 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
About HBL Pakistan Super League:
The HBL PSL is a franchise-based T20 tournament being organized and run by the Pakistan Cricket Board. With representation from five teams the tournament’s first season will take place in Dubai and Sharjah from 4 – 23 February 2016.
The five teams taking part in the tournament are Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings and Islamabad United.
England’s Kevin Pietersen will join Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali and Ahmad Shehzad for the Quetta Gladiators. Islamabad United will be led by Pakistan’s test skipper Misbah ul Haq and the team includes Australians Shane Watson and Brad Haddin. Pakistan’s star all-rounder and T20 captain Shahid Afridi, West Indian T20 captain Darren Sammy and Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal will be playing for the Peshawar Zalmi franchise. Karachi Kings will be led by Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik and the team includes England’s Ravi Bopara, Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, and Mohammad Amir. Lahore Qalandars have the services of West Indian stars Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo along with Pakistan’s Umar Akmal.
For more information: media@psl-t20.com
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www.psl-t20.com
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