Qatar Airways will begin its South Americas operations next year.
“We will certainly begin our operations to South America in 2008,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker was quoted to have said in a report in the Gulf Times.
The report, however, did not disclose the first South American destination. “We are waiting to receive enough planes that give us the capability to fly long range. We set our priorities based on that. We hope to go to Australia but we do not know when,” Al Baker is quoted to have added.
Al-Baker said Qatar Airways New York service would become daily by the end of 2008. The airline begins operations to the Liberty International Airport at Newark near New York on June 26 with four flights a week through Geneva, the report added.
Currently only four flights a week can be operated to Newark through Geneva because the Swiss authorities had given Qatar Airways only ‘staggered incremental traffic rights’.
“The Swiss authorities have given us the staggered incremental traffic rights to protect their national carrier's interests. Nevertheless, we hope to add one more service this winter and the sixth weekly service to Newark by mid-2008. By next year end we will be flying to Newark daily,” Al Baker added.
Washington DC will be the second destination for Qatar Airways in the US. Daily non-stop flights to Washington DC will be flagged off on July 19.
Qatar Airways currently flies to some 75 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Far East and the subcontinent, the report added.