QATAR AIRWAYS has now officially confirmed that it has put back delivery of its first Airbus A380 until the opening of the new Doha International Airport in 2009. Speaking at World Travel Market, the airline”s charismatic chairman and chief executive Akbar al Baker (left), said that the airport was now 20% complete but that the rapid expansion of the airline was causing congestion problems in the current building. The carrier plans to shortly open a dedicated premium class terminal, claimed to be the world”s first. This will help to alleviate the problem by opening up more space for economy class passengers. Mr Baker also announced plans to introduce a daily non-stop flight from Doha to Hong Kong at the beginning of Summer 2006. It will become Qatar Airways 12th destination in the Far East, following on from Bangkok, Beijing, Cebu, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Yangon. Last week the airline also launched flights to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, followed on 2 December by services to Madrid, and two weeks later on 15 December with flights starting to Berlin. Mr Baker also confirmed that the airline was considering fifth freedom operation from a non-London UK airport to presumably a US destination.
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