WHEN Qatar Airways launched its daily non-stop scheduled flights from Doha to Houston, it brought the total number of destinations on its network to 84.
The new route gives Qatar Airways its third daily non-stop service to the United States, supplementing existing daily services to Washington DC and New York City.
The 17 hour non stop journey is the longest flight in Qatar Airways’ route network and one of the longest non-stop services in the world. Two Boeing 777-200 long range aircraft operating on the route offer a two class configuration of 259 seats.
At the launch ceremony Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker who led a delegation of Qatar Airways executives, Qatari VIPs and media from across the GCC, said, “On behalf of Qatar Airways, I am delighted to see our aircraft now offering daily non-stop services to Houston. After more than a year of planning, we are finally on Texan soil.”
“Qatar Airways makes history by connecting the world’s energy capitals of Doha and Houston. It is with great pride that we are able to offer the business and leisure communities of these two great cities — and cities within the United States and across the Middle East and beyond — with a great new direct flight.”
“Houston is the first new route launch for Qatar Airways in a robust year of growth which will see new destinations of Sydney and Melbourne in Australia; Goa and Amritsar in India; and two additional European points joining our growing international network,” said Al Baker. Qatar Airways was committed to giving passengers greater choice, he said, and that the expansion was part of the airline’s ongoing growth strategy — a long term commitment to develop its route infrastructure as new aircraft join the fleet at an average delivery rate of one a month.