Qatar announces route launch dates

Qatar Airways has unveiled the launch dates of four recently-announced new routes for 2010 as part of the airline’s continued aggressive expansion strategy.The launch of flights to Copenhagen, Ankara, Tokyo and Barcelona comes during a busy five months for the award-winning airline. The announcement comes a month after Qatar Airways revealed its new routes for 2010 and just days after the airline confirmed it will begin daily non-stop services between Doha and Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, from February 22 to mark the airline’s 11th Indian destination.Beginning March 30, Qatar Airways adds Copenhagen to its European network with four flights a week, non-stop from Doha, the airline’s operational hub. After Stockholm, the Danish capital becomes the second Scandinavian destination served by Qatar Airways - the only Gulf carrier serving the region.A week later, starting April 5, Qatar Airways spreads its wings further into Turkey with the addition of four non-stop services a week from Doha to Ankara, supporting its existing scheduled services to Istanbul.And from April 26, Qatar Airways expands its operations in the Land of the Rising Sun with daily flights to the Japanese capital, Tokyo. The flights will be operated from Doha via Osaka, representing a significant increase in capacity for the Japanese market. Seoul, which is currently served via Osaka will be de-linked from the Japanese city to become a daily non-stop service from Doha, beginning March 28.Starting June 7, Qatar Airways’ European network receives another boost with non-stop flights between Doha and the Mediterranean port city of Barcelona - after Madrid, the airline’s second Spanish destination.Details of the airline’s planned flights to Sydney, its second Australian destination, will be announced later.”The next few months will prove to be yet another exciting period of growth with such diverse business and leisure destinations being added to Qatar Airways’ growing network,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.”It further strengthens our resolve to fly to the heart of political and business capital cities across the world, giving passengers more choice to get to their final destination.”Passengers can plan their travels now that we have announced the launch dates of these great destinations and we look forward to welcoming them onboard to experience our award-winning service.”With six new routes on the horizon, Qatar Airways will increase its global portfolio from 85 to 91 global destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East, North America and Australasia. The carrier currently operates a modern fleet of 77 aircraft.Regardless of the point of departure, Qatar Airways offers convenient connections over its Doha hub to the airline’s global network.