Qatar Airways exhibits at leading Arab travel show

Thousands of visitors from the travel trade, corporations, the media and members of the public are expected to attend the high-profile Arab World Travel and Tourism Conference and Exhibition, at the BIEL Centre in Beirut between October 7-10.

Qatar Airways has a dedicated stand at the show giving visitors the opportunity to meet senior staff and learn more about the carrier, one of the fastest growing airlines in the world.

The airline is expanding its global network this winter with the addition of six routes from its operational hub in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar.

Over the next three months, Beijing, Seychelles, London Gatwick, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Yangon will be added to the network, increasing Qatar Airways' global reach from 53 to 59 destinations.

The new routes starting this winter from Doha are:

Beijing - 3 times a week beginning 25 November 2004

London Gatwick - daily beginning 26 November 2004

Seychelles- 4 times a week beginning 1 December 2004

Yangon - 4 times a week beginning 8 January 2005

Johannesburg - 4 times a week beginning 16 January 2005

Cape Town - 4 times a week beginning 16 January 2005

Qatar Airways operates across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and the Far East. By the end of 2005, Qatar Airways will serve at least 70 destinations, including North America and Australia.

Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker said the route expansion programme reinforced the carrier's position as one of the fastest growing airlines in the world.

"Qatar Airways is really spreading its reach to exciting new destinations to cater for growing demand from a diverse group of travellers," said Al Baker.

He explained that the new routes would appeal to both business and leisure travellers and offer good connections to passengers travelling between continents via Doha.

Beijing becomes Qatar Airways' 9th destination in the Far East that already includes Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore, Cebu, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

"Since the launch of our Shanghai flights last year, the route had proved very popular and it was only natural for us to extend our Five Star service to business and leisure travellers by introducing Beijing as our second destination in China," said Al Baker.

The addition of London Gatwick would strengthen Qatar Airways' UK operations where the airline already serves London Heathrow with double daily flights.

The diverse and tranquil settings of the Seychelles, made up of 115 islands scattered over 1 million square kilometres, provides holidaymakers with a perfect place to relax and unwind in the Indian Ocean.

The vibrant commercial hub of Johannesburg and the leisure retreat of Cape Town provide Qatar Airways with its first foray into Southern Africa.

And Yangon, capital of Myanmar, is the gateway to the country's breathtaking beauty and scenery.

Qatar Airways is one of the youngest airlines in the world with an all-Airbus fleet of 34 modern aircraft, which will double over the next few years following a $5.1bn order for 34 additional Airbus jets.

From Beirut, Qatar Airways operates daily flights to Doha, offering convenient connections to many of the airline's global destinations. The Beirut - Doha flights are operated as a codeshare with Middle East Airlines.