Qatar Airways Continues to Lead the Recovery of International Travel

Qatar Airways' fuel-efficient sustainable fleet and robust network management has enabled it to solidify its position as the largest international carrier during this crisis

IATA figures show for the third month in a row that the airline's operations lead the world with 8.1 percent of international passenger traffic and 6.8 percent of air cargo traffic

The airline's 1.25 billion RPKs in June was over 50 percent more than its closest competitor

June data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reaffirms Qatar Airways position as the leading international carrier during this crisis, carrying more passengers and cargo than any other airline to support the recovery of international travel and vital global supply chains.

Qatar Airways' over 1.25 billion revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) during the month of June accounted for 8.1 percent of the global market, over 50 percent more than its nearest competitor. Qatar Airways Cargo also continued to lead its sector with close to 1 billion cargo tonne kilometres (CTK) accounting for 6.8 percent of the global cargo market, ensuring much needed airfreight capacity to support global trade and the transportation of essential medical and aid supplies to impacted regions.

Qatar Airways has become the largest international carrier flying over 85 million kilometres to repatriate over 2 million passengers on over 20,000 flights during this crisis. The airline has also worked closely with governments, and companies around the world to operate over 360 charters and extra sector flights.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: "I welcome these independent statistics from IATA which clearly show our airline's resilience during this crisis and unwavering commitment to our passengers and cargo customers to carry them safely and reliably when they need or want to travel and to transport their goods to where they need to be.

"Our mix of modern fuel-efficient aircraft has enabled us to remain agile, giving us the flexibility to maintain and rebuild our network sustainably by operating the right sized aircraft to offer reliable capacity in each market. While many airlines suspended operations, we continued to maintain a robust schedule and network. Our network throughout this crisis has never fallen below 30 destinations across five continents or less than 150 weekly frequencies. Since then we have rebuilt our network to be the largest in the region with more than 500 weekly flights to over 80 destinations.

"Our continuous operations have enabled us to accumulate unrivalled experience in carrying passengers safely throughout this pandemic. We have implemented the most advanced safety and hygiene measures on board our aircraft and in our award-winning home and hub, Hamad International Airport, recently voted the Best Airport in the Middle East for the sixth consecutive year."

Qatar Airways operations are not dependent on any specific aircraft type. Due to COVID-19's impact on travel demand, the airline has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market. The airline's fleet of 49 Airbus A350 and 30 Boeing 787 are the ideal choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.

Qatar Airways' onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and a complimentary protective kit and disposable face shields for passengers. Business Class passengers on aircraft equipped with Qsuite can enjoy the enhanced privacy this award-winning business seat provides, including sliding privacy partitions and the option to use a 'Do Not Disturb (DND)' indicator. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 30 destinations including London, Paris, and Frankfurt. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.

To ensure travellers can plan their travel with peace of mind, the airline has also extended its booking policies to offer even more choice to its passengers. The airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original destination. The airline will not charge any fare differences for travel completed before 31 December 2020, after which fare rules will apply. All tickets booked for travel up to 31 December 2020 will be valid for two years from the date of issuance. For full terms and conditions visit qatarairways.com/RelyOnUs.

Qatar Airways' home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), has implemented stringent cleaning procedures and applied social distancing measures throughout its terminals. Passenger touchpoints are sanitized every 10-15 minutes and boarding gates and bus gate counters are cleaned after each flight. In addition, hand sanitizers are provided at immigration and security screening points. HIA was recently ranked "Third Best Airport in the World", among 550 airports worldwide, by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020. HIA was also voted the 'Best Airport in the Middle East' for the sixth year in a row and 'Best Staff Service in the Middle East' for the fifth year in a row.