Flights to Amritsar will be launched by Qatar Airways

News added by Fred under Airline News

Qatar Airways’ maiden flight to the northern Indian state of Punjab landed in the holy city of Amritsar this morning heralding the beginning of huge route expansion over the next seven weeks.

With Diwali – the festival of lights – celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs around the world on October 17, the arrival of flight QR 298 from Doha to Amritsar was a welcome sign ahead of the festive season.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker led an official delegation of international media onboard the packed inaugural flight to Raja Sansi International Airport on the outskirts of the colourful city Amritsar, where the Golden Temple is home to the Sikh religion.

Passengers flying from North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East to Doha have excellent onward late evening connections to Amritsar, a route Qatar Airways is operating four-times-a-week non-stop from the capital of the State of Qatar.

The launch of dedicated scheduled flights, using a two-class Airbus A320, meets high demand for seats to Amritsar before Diwali and ahead of the busy winter holiday season. The airline is offering 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy.

Over the next few weeks, the idyllic Indian beach holiday destination of Goa will join the network from October 25, and flights to Melbourne are due to start on December 6.

“These are exciting times for Qatar Airways with three route launches in less than two months, which demonstrates the robust expansion we are forging ahead with,” said Al Baker.

“Qatar Airways and, indeed the State of Qatar, have close ties with India which are today strengthening with the launch of flights to Amritsar. I am extremely indebted to the authorities here in Amritsar for welcoming Qatar Airways with open arms to this wonderful, historic city.”

“Amritsar is highly underserved by international airlines so we are pleased to be filling a void with our award-winning service to and from this highly popular destination in north India.”

Qatar Airways plans a press conference and a Bollywood-style gala dinner over the next two days with entertainment drawn from Mumbai, centre of India’s film industry.

Qatar Airways currently operates 56 flights a week between Doha and India – daily non-stop services to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Cochin and Kozhikode. The addition of Amritsar and, soon, Goa will take Qatar Airways’ Indian capacity up to 64 flights a week.

Added Al Baker: “By bringing forward the launch date of Amritsar, we are able to meet the huge demand anticipated in time for the Diwali festive holidays celebrated by devotees of many religions, including Sikhism, during October. Amritsar is very much the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion.”

The two Indian routes will be the first wave of destinations added to Qatar Airways’ route network over a four-month period, including the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney, and two further cities in Europe.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 68 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 83 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East and North America.

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