Boeing 787 Dreamliner Flights To Begin On Doha - Perth Route From

Doha, QATAR – Just months after commencing flights to Perth, Qatar Airways is set to be the world’s first airline to operate scheduled Boeing 787 flights to and from Australia early next year.


Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner


Qatar Airways' first long-haul Boeing 787 Australian commercial service will begin operations on 1 Februrary 2013, connecting passengers from Perth to Doha and onwards to many destinations including London Heathrow which this week will have a 787 on the route.

The airlline's 787 Dreamliner debut on the Perth route is set to make Qatar Airways the first worldwide airline to operate regular scheduled flights to and from Australia with Boeing's next generation aircraft.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said passengers travelling to and from Australia will have the opportunity to travel onboard one of the most sophisticated, spacious and comfortable aircraft in the skies today.

"Our Perth route was launched in July with three flights a week, but we stepped up capacity at the beginning of this month to daily and soon we will deploy our new 787 on the route which demonstrates the confidence we have in this relatively new market for us," said Al Baker.

"From Perth, passengers are able to easily connect via Doha to more 80 destinations worldwide, including over 30 in Europe such as London Heathrow which from will this week will see Qatar Airways flying a 787 on one of its five daily flights.

"From February, we will be able to offer the UK and western Australian markets a single 787 product all the way giving our passengers a whole new long-haul experience on the world's newest aircraft. We are delighted with today’s announcement, providing our Australian passengers with an unparelled service onboard the most talked-about aircraft in the world today.

“In just two days time as we inaugurate our 787 on the London Heathrow route, Qatar Airways is firmly on the global aviation map as a carrier with a determination to continue its expansion drive and improve an already superior in-flight product," he added.

"Qatar Airways took delivery of the first of 60 Dreamliners last month with the third 787 joining Qatar Airways' fleet just days ago. The Dreamliner marks the start of an exciting new era for travellers worldwide with unparalleled levels of comfort and luxury onboard Boeing’s next generation aircraft.

The Doha-based carrier's new addition to its fleet also heralds a fresh era for Middle East aviation with our carrier being the Boeing 787 launch customer in the region.

With more 787s being inducted into our fleet over the next year, further route launches and our move to a brand new international airport in Doha during 2013, Qatar Airways continues to look forward to another year of exciting developments.

Both new and existing customers travelling to and from the UK and Australia with be able to travel onboard the world’s first fully connected Dreamliner with wireless facilities for passengers to remain in touch with their friends and loved ones on the ground through the internet and SMS mobile texting across both the Business and Economy cabins.

A striking feature of every seat throughout the 787 is the award-winning touch screen Android system, where passengers are able to navigate through a truly interactive service offering more than 1,000 movie, TV programmes, music and gaming entertainment options in a sophisticated and user friendly way, just like the latest smart phones.

The touch-screen control unit has a unique dual screen interface allowing passengers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying a movie on their personal screen. Passengers can stay connected through WIFI and GSM telephony, sending both text and MMS messages, with each seat equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets.

Qatar Airways has 254 custom-made seats across its 787 Business and Economy Class cabins with specially designed interiors. Business Class is configured 1–2–1 with 22 seats, while Economy has 232 seats in a 3–3–3 layout.

In addition, dynamic mood lighting and the composite design of the Dreamliner with lighter materials, will ensure passengers are less fatigued and more refreshed as the cabin pressure is 2,000 feet closer to ground level with an air purification system that is cleaner and healthier than many other aircraft.

The 787 Dreamliner is made up of composite materials making it a lighter and more fuel efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range. Key features include larger windows, lower cabin pressure at higher altitude ensuring less fatigue, mood lighting throughout the aircraft and more passenger space and comfort.

One of the world’s fastest growing airlines, Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 115 aircraft to 122 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.

Since the beginning of 2012, Qatar Airways has launched flights to 11 new destinations – Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar), Maputo (Mozambique), Belgrade (Serbia) and Warsaw (Poland).

Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chengdu, China (March 19); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).

Seats on the 787 Perth – Doha flights are now bookable online at qatarairways.com, through any Qatar Airways reservation office or local travel agent.

To experience Qatar Airways’ new 787, click on the following link www.qatarairways.com/787 and view details of the aircraft, its features with videos, including a fascinating 3-minute clip of the making of Qatar Airways’ first Dreamliner.