Qatar Airways has today marked five years since first launching its Adelaide to Doha route. The airline celebrated the anniversary with an event at Adelaide Airport, joined by representatives from the South Australian Tourism Commission and local partners. Qatar Airways is also thanking Adelaide for five years of support with a 5th anniversary sale.
Qatar Airways first launched services to and from Adelaide on 3 May 2016, flying the first Airbus A350 into Australia. Since the commencement of services, Qatar Airways has carried over 490,000 passengers on Adelaide flights, supporting the state’s AUD $8.1 Billion tourism industry. Alongside this, the airline has exported over 15,000,000 kilograms of cargo and imported over 15,200,000 kilograms of cargo on the route over five years.
To mark the milestone, Qatar Airways adorned Adelaide Airport with decorations in the airline’s signature colours. There was a celebratory event with senior executives from Qatar Airways, Adelaide Airport, South Australian Tourism Commission and local businesses.
Qatar Airways’ Vice President Australasia & North Asia, Mr. Thomas Scruby, said: “This is a significant milestone for us as we celebrate five years of service to our Adelaide customers. We have always been committed to the South Australian market – it was the first airport in Australia that welcomed the Airbus A350-900 aircraft when we launched here in 2016.”
“This anniversary provides an opportunity to thank the local food and wine producers whom we have built strong relationships with over the past five years. It’s an especially critical time for the travel and aviation industry as we work through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and we would not still be here without the support of our partners in Adelaide. We’re looking forward to the next five years and beyond.”
South Australian Tourism Commission chief executive Rodney Harrex said it was pleasing to acknowledge Qatar Airways’ ongoing commitment to the South Australian market, particularly over the past 12 months.
“After keeping the state connected to the world throughout the pandemic, the airline has a significant part to play as we rebuild our tourism and freight sectors. We have enjoyed a strong partnership since 2016 and look forward to this continuing for many years,” he said.
Over the past year Qatar Airways has played an important role in supporting South Australian exporters by deploying an additional nine weekly cargo-only flights to compensate for the drop in capacity left by other airlines. This has ensured that exporters, particularly farmers and the agriculture sector, continue to have access to the global markets they served pre-Covid.
Cleanseas Seafood Chief Commercial Officer, Antoine Huon said: “The long standing collaboration between Cleanseas and Qatar Airways has enabled our business to have the flexibility to service our customers around the globe and particularly around Europe. We look forward to continuing to develop this relationship and grow together moving forward as we open up to new markets for our premium fresh and frozen Spencer Gulf and South Australian Yellowtail Kingfish”
Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Mark Young, said: “We are delighted to celebrate this important milestone with Qatar Airways, and to recognise their strong commitment to the Adelaide market, and Australian travellers more broadly. These services have provided crucial connections to the world for travellers and South Australian freight exporters over the past five years.”
Qatar Airways is also celebrating with a 5th anniversary sale from today until 10 May 2021 with special fares departing from Adelaide from $1,459* return. The airline has updated its cancellation policy amid COVID-19, for guaranteed flexibility on bookings until 30 June 2021, for travel until 31 May 2022. To book visit www.qatarairways.com/au or your preferred travel agent.
Over the last 12 months, Qatar Airways has been focused on repatriating travellers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Since 1 March 2020, Qatar Airways has helped carry over 250,000 Australians and international travellers home. Qatar Airways carried nearly 45% of international travellers to and from Australia during April 2020, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. The airline has also been flying essential medical supplies into the country, carrying over 41,000 tonnes of cargo to and from Australia during the pandemic.
Qatar Airways recently became the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. This follows HIA’s recent success as the first and only airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These recognitions provide assurance to passengers across the world that airline health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.
The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 130 destinations. With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination if they need to.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and socially distanced Business Class product in the sky. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 40 destinations including Johannesburg, Maldives, New York and Zurich. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.
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