Qatar Airways yesterday operated the very 1st Fully Vaccinated COVID-19 flight in the world.
Special flight details
Qatar Airways flight QR6421 departed Hamad International Airport in Doha at 11:45 local time carrying only vaccinated crew and passengers onboard. Passengers were also checked-in by fully vaccinated staff at Doha.
The flight which landed in Doha at 15:00 showcased all the measures the airline has put in place to ensure the highest standards of safety and hygiene on board, including its latest innovation, the world’s first ‘Zero-Touch’ in-flight entertainment technology.
The flight was operated by a Airbus A350-1000 registered as A7-ANF, with the flight also fully carbon offset in line with the carrier’s environmental responsibilities. The flight took off from Doha, then flew over United Arab Emirates and Oman before returning back to Doha.
The airline also said that passengers onboard were able to livestream the experience with the help of WiFi.
Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways, said:
Today’s special flight demonstrates the next stage in the recovery of international travel is not far away. We are proud to continue leading the industry by operating the first flight with a fully vaccinated crew and passengers and providing a beacon of hope for the future of international aviation. With aviation being a critical economic driver both globally and here in the State of Qatar, we are thankful for the support we have received from our government and local health authorities to vaccinate our staff, with over 1,000 vaccinations being administered per day. It is in Qatar Airways DNA to be at the forefront, setting the highest standards of safety and customer service. Before the pandemic, Qatar Airways became the first and only airline to be awarded the Skytrax Airline of the Year five times. When the pandemic hit its peak in early April, our airline continued flying to help repatriate millions of stranded passengers and transport essential medical supplies, while also implementing the latest innovations in biosafety and hygiene. As the vaccine rollout begins to gather pace worldwide, Qatar Airways remains committed to being the airline passengers and travel partners can rely on, operating one of the largest global networks to provide the connectivity needed to reunite families and friends and support global trade. Qatar Airways Cargo has also played a vital role in maintaining a reliable schedule across our network of destinations. Since the onset of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has helped transport more than 500,000 tonnes of medical supplies and delivered close to 20,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 20 countries.
Not the 1st time that Qatar Airways is at the forefront
Qatar Airways was the 1st airline in the Middle East to trial the IATA Travel Pass. To show its gratitude to those who have played key roles throughout the pandemic, the Doha-based airline gave away 100,000 complimentary return tickets to healthcare workers and 21,000 to teachers around the world in 2020.
Emirates also operated a flight to Los Angeles with the full frontline team being vaccinated and is also going to operate a fully vaccinated flight on 10th April, 2021.
Featured image by Qatar Airways
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