Qatar Airways announces Madrid as new route

The Spanish capital will become the airline's second new European service at the end of the year, as the German capital, Berlin, will come on line two weeks later on December 15.

Speaking during a media briefing on World Tourism Day in Doha, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said Madrid will be a vital addition to Qatar Airways' route network.

"The addition of Madrid is yet another step forward to expand Qatar Airways' global, and specifically European services," he said.

"We look forward to spreading our wings to the Spanish capital which has a strong tourism appeal. The city will be the gateway to many exciting towns and cities across Spain.

"Similarly, we welcome many visitors from Spain to experience our award-winning Five Star service from Madrid to Doha, from where they will be able to take advantage of a host of convenient connections to many destinations across the Middle East, Far East and Indian subcontinent."

Qatar Airways will operate three flights a week between Doha, capital of the State of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf, and Madrid.

The airline currently operates to 66 destinations from Doha, which will rise to 69 with the addition of Madrid, Berlin and, from November 15, the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 42 all-Airbus aircraft, which will almost double within a few years. During the summer, Qatar Airways announced plans at the Paris Air Show to acquire up to 80 aircraft, comprising 60 of the new generation A350s and 20 Boeing 777s worth a total US$15.2 billion.

The airline is one of the launch customers of the twin-deck A380 'super jumbos' with four aircraft on order and scheduled for delivery from 2009 to coincide with the opening of the New Doha International Airport.

Qatar Airways recently retained its status as one of only a select-few Five Star-ranked airlines in the world by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry monitoring agency.

Skytrax also named Qatar Airways' cabin crew as Best in the Middle East for the third year running and fifth best in the world following a survey of more than 12 million passengers worldwide, while the airline also maintained its position as among the world's top 10 carriers.