Airline’s Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker on board first flight from Doha to Dubai. Daily Dreamliner services on Doha – Dubai sector
DOHA – Qatar Airways has resumed its Boeing 787 services after a worldwide grounding of the aircraft in January.
The airline’s first Boeing 787 to be redeployed operated flight QR116 from Doha to Dubai today at 1315 hrs.
The airline’s fleet of five Dreamliners was grounded earlier this year following a directive from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker was the first passenger to board the airline’s reinstated Dreamliner 787, joined by President Boeing Middle East Jeffrey Johnson, Boeing’s Deputy Fleet Chief David Silver and a delegation of regional and international media.
Al Baker said he was delighted to be back on board the Dreamliner.
“I always said I would be the first to fly on Qatar Airways’ 787 once it returned to service, and I’m thrilled that our Dreamliner fleet is back in the skies, providing our passengers with an unparalleled level of service and comfort,” he said.
“After a setback that not only affected our own worldwide operations, but those of many carriers worldwide, we look forward to now deploying the Dreamliner on other key routes over the coming weeks.
“I have always hailed the Dreamliner as the state-of-the-art aircraft destined to change the way people travel and I was delighted to be on board our first 787 to take to the air again.
“Throughout the grounding of our fleet we have worked closely with Boeing to monitor the situation and work towards getting our fleet up and running again.
“Safety has always been the number one priority for Qatar Airways and I have full confidence in the safety and security of this aircraft.”
President Boeing Middle East, Jeffrey Johnson said: “Today’s flight is a tribute to the spirit of partnership, which led to the solution that made it possible.
“It is also testament to Qatar Airways’ continued support for the 787 Dreamliner program and to the strength of its relationship with Boeing.”
Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 123 aircraft to 126 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.
Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch scheduled flights to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Salalah, Oman (May 22); Basra, Iraq (June 3); Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (August 20); and Chengdu, China (September 3), with many more start-ups to be announced.
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.
