Flagship's arrival establishes Qatar Executive's Gulfstream fleet.
SAVANNAH, GA. – Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. formally delivered a Gulfstream G650ER to Qatar Airways in a ceremony at Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah.
The delivery is the first of up to 30 Gulfstream aircraft Qatar Airways has agreed to purchase. The sale, a combination of firm orders and options, includes the flagship G650ER as well as the G500 and G600, Gulfstream’s new clean-sheet, wide-cabin aircraft.
“It was a pleasure working with Qatar Airways on this project, because we share their drive to provide unmatched safety, speed, quality, performance and cabin comfort to customers,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “The G650ER stands at the head of the class in all of these categories. Their customers will be able to fly anywhere in the world at nearly the speed of sound, and they will be able to do so in a healthy, restful and serene environment. This aircraft will get them from Doha to New York, Cape Town or Beijing nonstop.”
“It is an honor to be the first Gulfstream G650ER air charter operator in the Middle East,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker. “We believe in giving our passengers a memorable experience every time they travel with us, which is why we have chosen this new-generation aircraft with its unprecedented levels of comfort and technology to make travelling for both business and leisure a real pleasure whenever we welcome our guests on board. The G650ER will take our passengers farther, faster and in more luxury than ever before.”
From its start in 2009, Qatar Executive has rapidly risen to become a leader in air charter services for individuals, families, businesses, corporations and governments. As part of Qatar Airways, one of the world’s leading airlines, Qatar Executive assures its clients an excellent charter experience.
The G650ER, an ultra-long-range aircraft, can travel 7,500 nm/13,890 km at Mach 0.85 and 6,400 nm/11,853 km at Mach 0.90. Gulfstream announced the G650ER in May 2014, and the aircraft received type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration five months later.
The G650ER cabin shares the same features and amenities as the G650 and provides passengers the healthiest and most comfortable cabin experience. The aircraft has the largest purpose-built business-jet cabin and offers passengers wider seats, more aisle room, 16 panoramic windows, the lowest cabin altitude of any business jet and the ability to control the cabin entertainment, temperature and lighting with a smart device. Passengers can stay connected with Internet, phone and on-board printing capabilities.
Qatar Airways announces free passenger Wi-Fi through exclusive three-year sponsorship deal with Ooredoo
Qatar Airways also announced that Ooredoo, the fastest-growing telecommunications company in the world, will be the exclusive three-year sponsor of on-board Wi-Fi across the airline’s state-of-the-art fleet. This pioneering partnership sees two of the country’s biggest brands come together to offer customers worldwide one of the best on-board connections.
Effective December 17, to celebrate Qatar National Day, Qatar Airways passengers on all connected aircraft will enjoy free Wi-Fi for the first 15 minutes courtesy of Ooredoo. For those passengers who wish to remain connected in the air, Qatar Airways offers a customer-friendly and easy payment programme, based on the amount of time needed. One hour of connectivity is just 5USD; three hours of connectivity is just 10USD; and for passengers on longer Qatar Airways flights, a set price of 20USD for the duration of their trip is available, regardless of the number of hours used.
Guests in Qatar Airways First Class cabin on board the airline’s A380 will enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi for the duration of their trip.
Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways has always prided itself on delivering outstanding in-flight service, superior on-board products, and operational excellence for its passengers and today’s announcement is proof of this on-going commitment. We believe on-board shouldn’t mean off-line. As an ambitious and award-winning business we understand the need to stay connected whilst going places. By offering customers the chance to stay connected whilst flying, Qatar Airways is demonstrating its promise to offer a premium service to all customers.
“This partnership really reflects the values at the core of our new, recently unveiled, global brand positioning – ‘Going Places Together’ – and further underpins our commitment to offering the best to our customers.”
From right: Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al Thani, Group CEO of Ooredoo; H.E Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive; H.E. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Ooredoo; Mr. Waleed Al Sayed, CEO Ooredoo Qatar; Mr. Yousef Abdulla Al Kubaisi, COO Ooredoo Qatar and Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Thani, Chief New Business Officer Ooredoo.
Waleed Al Sayed, CEO, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “Ooredoo strives to ensure that customers can always enjoy the best network wherever they are in the world, and our partnership with Qatar Airways takes our commitment to connectivity to the skies. Qatar is leading the way in the incredible facilities being offered to visitors and residents, and we are pleased to extend our work with Qatar Airways through this important agreement.”
Today’s announcement sees a continuation of the premium travel experience offered through all touch points with the airline and reaffirms its position as Skytrax Airline of the Year. Ooredoo is known for providing world-class communication and with Qatar Airways they will be connecting passengers with loved ones, work, news and insights whilst they travel, whether for business or for pleasure. Currently the service is available across all connected aircraft and Qatar Airways plans to connect more planes in the near future.
On-board Wi-Fi is part of Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art communications system available on all A380, A350, B787, A319, and select A320 and A330 aircraft. Qatar Airways’ new state-of-the-art hub, Hamad International Airport, already offers guests on the ground free Wi-Fi before travel or during transit, and also has over 40,000 square metres of retail space and restaurants that includes a selection of more than 70 retail and 30 food and beverage outlets.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
