Qatar Airways CEO tags Malta ‘key Mediterranean gateway’

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, tagged Malta as a key Mediterranean gateway for leisure and business purposes during a VIP corporate dinner organised by the airways at the Hilton Hotel in Malta on 1 July in celebration of its recently launched Doha to Malta route, according to a press statement sent to Business Malta.

“As a key Mediterranean gateway for leisure and business passengers alike, we are thrilled to add this stunning and culturally significant destination to Qatar Airways’ rapidly expanding European network. With the flexibility of a daily service during the tourism high season in summer, and four weekly passenger flights in winter, we are confident that Malta will quickly establish itself as one of our new key routes in the region,” said Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways.

The new direct services to Malta will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. Passengers travelling to Malta will have access to Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system, offering the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and more, according to the press statement sent to BM.

Malta has also joined Qatar Airways’ air freight network, with the carrier’s cargo arm offering a total capacity of 21 tonnes to and from Malta each week, and a direct connection to destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas via Doha.

In addition to its service to Malta, Qatar Airways has launched further new destinations recently, including; Izmir, Turkey; Lisbon, Portugal and Mogadishu, Somalia to name just a few. The airline will also add Langkawi, Malaysia, to its network in the second half of 2019.

Qatar Airways currently operates a fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) to more than 160 destinations worldwide.

The evening in Malta was attended by the President of the Republic of Malta Dr George Vella, the Charges d’Affaires to the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Malta Khalid Ali Abdulla Abel, Malta’s Minister of Tourism Konrad Mizzi, Malta’s Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business Christian Cardona, Malta’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Carmelo Abela, and CEO of Malta International Airport, Alan Borg.