Qatar Airways doubles frequency between Bahrain and Qatar to 28 weekly flights

The increased capacity is intended to better service local customers and provide greater connection opportunities over Doha to more than 50 Qatar Airways destinations worldwide.

"Bahrain is a key market for Qatar Airways and we want the public to be able to take full advantage of the high levels of service we provide," said Mohammed Ali, Bahrain Area Manager, Qatar Airways.

"The substantial increase in the number of flights to Qatar will allow our customers to minimise transit times and increase their flight experience."

The announcement comes as Qatar Airways gears up for an exciting few weeks with the launch of six new routes in a bid to further expand the airline's global reach and presence.

Qatar Airlines will be launching flights to high profile destinations such as London Gatwick, Beijing, Seychelles, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Yangon. Members of the airline's Privilege Club will earn double miles for the first month of operations as part of a special promotion.

Passengers will be able to experience Qatar Airways' Five Star service, one of only three airlines worldwide to have been recognised by Skytrax, the independent aviation monitoring agency, with the highest accolade for airline service.

"Qatar Airways is expanding at a phenomenal rate with new routes opening up from Doha to different parts of the world," said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al Baker.

"We want to give our business and leisure travellers a diverse choice of destinations to fly to from Doha."

He explained that the route expansion programme reinforced the carrier's position as one of the fastest growing airlines in the world.

Qatar Airways operates to 53 destinations 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.

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," added Al Baker.

The addition of London Gatwick would strengthen Qatar Airways' UK operations where the airline already serves London Heathrow with two 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 36 modern aircraft, which will double over the next few years following a $5.1bn order for 34 additional Airbus jets.