Qatar Airways has completed 10 successful years of flying to Canada. The first flight by the airline was between Doha’s Hamad International Airport and and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.
Celebrating 10 years
The airline’s journey in Canada began in June 2011 with 3-weekly flights to Montréal, later expanding to 4-weekly in December 2018 and then reaching a daily service in February 2021.
Since its inaugural flight in June 2011, Qatar Airways has flown more than 3,400 times between Doha and Montréal. The Montreal flights are currently operated by the airline’s Airbus A350-900 featuring 36 business class Qsuites and 247 standard economy class seats. Qatar Airways Cargo also offers more than 100 tonnes of cargo capacity each week in each direction on the Doha- Montréal -Doha route.
Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways, said:
Canada has always been close to us at Qatar Airways. I remember the pride I felt when we first touched down in Montréal in 2011, and I knew then that this was just the beginning of a strong and enduring relationship with Canada. Over the years we have witnessed the benefits of our services to Canada that extend well beyond our mission of bringing people together. Our flights have enabled travellers from around the world to experience Canada’s iconic hospitality while supporting the export of Canadian products to overseas markets. Our commitment to Canada is steadfast and we are grateful for our unique partnership with the Government of Canada which has strengthened since 2011, most recently through our combined repatriation efforts to bring thousands of stranded Canadians safely home during the pandemic. All of us at Qatar Airways were particularly touched when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended his gratitude to the airline for supporting Canada during this unprecedented crisis. Today, we celebrate 10 years of true friendship in aviation.
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Never stopped flying
The Doha-based carrier has never stopped flying to Montréal throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and the airline continues to provide a lifeline for Canadians returning home from all over the world.
After working closely with the Government of Canada and its embassies at the height of the global health emergency, the carrier also temporarily operated 3-weekly services to Toronto in addition to multiple charter flights to Vancouver to help bring home more than 44,000 Canadian citizens and residents stranded abroad.
Qatar Airways has reinforced its commitment to Canadian passengers and travel trade for the past 10 years. Lately, these efforts have also contributed to boosting Canada’s global connectivity to support the recovery of tourism and trade as the world emerges from the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways recently announced a new route to Zambia and Zimbabwe that is scheduled to begin in August. The Doha-based carrier has also ramped up services to the United States with over 100 weekly flights to 12 destinations.
Featured image by Qatar Airways
What do you think of Qatar Airways celebrating 10 years of flying to Canada? Have you travelled with the Middle Eastern Carrier to Canada? If so, what was your experience? Let me know in the comments section below.
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