The multiple award-winning flag carrier of Qatar, state-owned Qatar Airways, offers flights to over 140 international destinations and is dedicated to living up to its slogan, “world’s 5-star carrier”. The airline caters to destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Far East, Middle East, North America and South America and currently hosts regular domestic and international flights in Nigeria.
Qatar Airways is headquartered in Doha at the Hamad International Airport and operates a fleet of over 100 aircraft.
The History of Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways was founded in 1993 and commenced flights in 1994 under the command of CEO, Sheikh Hamad Bin Ali Bin Jabor Al Thani. At this time, the airline only employed 75 people and had two Airbus A310s. Between 1995 and 1996, Qatar Airways acquired two Boeing 747s and a Boeing 747SP.
From 1997 to 2009, the airline grew steadily, acquiring additional aircraft along the way. As part of the Qatar Airways Group, the airline reported its first profit ever for the financial year ending March 2004. Growing and expanding from year to year, Qatar Airways became the official launch customer for the A350 XWB, the first of which was handed over to the company in December 2014.
Akbar Al Baker is the current CEO of Qatar Airways, appointed in 1997, and also serves on the Heathrow Airport Board. The airline is currently fully owned by the Qatari government.
Qatar Airways fleet:
Qatar Airways’ fleet currently consists of 156 aircraft including the Airbus A319-100LR (2), Airbus A320-200 (31), Airbus A321-200 (8), Airbus A330-200 (18), Airbus A330-300 (13), Airbus A340-600 (4), Airbus A380-800 (5), Boeing 777-200LR (9), Boeing 777-300ER (28), Airbus A330-200F (6), Boeing 777-F (8) and Boeing 787-8 (22).
Qatar Airways Baggage Allowance and Limitations
Qatar Airways stipulates that a single piece of checked baggage may not weigh more than 32kg. No checked baggage may exceed a total dimension of 300cm. The following weight allowances are made per flight class:
- First class – 50kg.
- Business class – 40kg.
- Economy class – 30kg.
First class and business class are allowed two pieces of hand baggage not exceeding 15kg, while economy class is allowed one piece of hand baggage not exceeding 7kg.
Flight Routes:
Passengers can fly to over 140 destinations from Nigeria with Qatar Airways. The airline advertises USA, South Africa, UAE, Pakistan, Tanzania, Netherlands, UK, France and Australia as its top destinations. A full listing of the airlines destinations and routes can be easily found on the Qatar Airways website.
Check-in Options and Procedures
Check-in procedures typically start 3 hours prior to departure and close one hour before the scheduled time of the flight. Passengers can use a check-in counter at the airport or handle their own check-in at airport self service check-in kiosks or via the Qatar Airways mobile app, where the boarding pass can be downloaded to the mobile device or printed.
The in-flight experience
Qatar Airways offers its passengers Middle Eastern hospitality and a 5-star in-flight service. Complimentary on-board meals are designed by award winning chefs. With more than 1000 entertainment options to choose from the latest movies, programs and audio options are made readily available. While each class varies in terms of leg room, privacy and space – all seats offer sufficient space to comfortably eat, sleep and relax for the duration of the flight.
Partnerships/Code Share Agreements
Qatar Airways offers its passengers Qmiles as part of their loyalty rewards program. These miles can be used when travelling with Qatar Airways or their partners including A Siana, GOL, Middle East Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
Qatar Airways in the news
In recent news, reports have claimed that Qatar Airways was looking for a stake in SpiceJet. Qatar Airways spokesperson has firmly stated that the airline is not looking to partner with SpiceJet and that the claim is false. It is believed that by creating such interest, the end game is to influence share valuations.