Qatar Airways boosts Indian services

Qatar Airways has widened its passenger flight network in India with the launch of daily non-stop scheduled services from Doha to Kolkata.Formerly known as Calcutta, addition of the latest route reaffirms the carrier’s commitment to India where it now operates 95 flights a week across 12 destinations. In addition, the Doha-based airline also operates twice-weekly freighter services to Kolkata, one of six Indian destinations where Qatar Airways already offers dedicated cargo flights.The inaugural flight QR 294, carrying a full load of passengers including international media, arrived at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on Thursday to a traditional water salute welcome following its five-hour flight from the capital of the State of Qatar.Speaking about the airline’s newest route launch, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: “Introduction of our latest destination has been well timed to coincide with the busy holiday season as families travel to and from India, one of our most important markets.”As our 12th Indian gateway, the addition of Kolkata demonstrates Qatar Airways’ commitment to one of the world’s fastest growing economies with India’s rapid pace of development prompting the need for more flights to serve rising demand for air travel to and from the country.”