Qatar Airways further expanded its operations in China with the launch of scheduled flights to Chengdu, the airline’s sixth destination to China. The new thrice weekly flights now join Qatar Airways’ five other Chinese gateways – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Chongqing – for a total of 41 flights per week.
“Qatar Airways saw an immense potential to operate in Chengdu, which is set to play a critical role in the next wave of economic development in Western China. It’s hardly a surprise, therefore, that nearly half of the world’s Fortune 500 companies have opened offices in the city, and that Chengdu is aiming to become China’s fastest growing aviation hub,” said Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways.
Chengdu becomes the 130th destination in the Qatar Airways global network, and now adds to over 15 per cent of the airline’s routes which fly across Asia. The Chengdu route is operated with an Airbus A330 in a two-class configuration of up to 248 seats in Economy and 36 in Business Class.
“Qatar Airways is delighted to launch our latest gateway in China,” continued Al Baker. “The opening of Chengdu shows our commitment to a vibrant and flourishing economy in the country’s next key economic and transportation hub. We remember fondly in 2011 when we launched Chongqing, offering the first non-stop route from Western China to the Middle East. We are extremely honoured to have another opportunity to contribute to this thriving region yet again.”
