Qatar expands destinations out of Bangkok
Qatar Airways plans to expand its network from Bangkok to cover Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia this year, in a bid to raise its passenger numbers by 30 per cent annually.
Rohan Seneviratne, area manager for Thailand and Cambodia, yesterday said the airline would begin a Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur-Bali service on March 25. The route will be operated by Indian Airlines, with which Qatar has signed a code-sharing agreement. "Bali is returning to its earlier status as a popular tourist destination, and many people want to go there, but we're targeting free-individual tourists," he said.Qatar Airways also plans to add a Bangkok-Ho Chi Minh City leg to its current Doha-Bangkok service, which it operates 14 times a week. The new Southeast Asian routes are part of the airline's expansion plans this year, which include the introduction of non-stop flights from Doha to New York City, Lagos, Nigeria, and Madras, India, and adding destinations in Eastern Europe. "With our new networking arrangements, we're planning to increase our passenger numbers 30 per cent," he said. The airline currently uses 52 Airbus aircraft to fly to 71 destinations in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Seneviratne said Qatar Airways ranked as one of only four airlines in Skytrax's five-star category. It flew 6.3 million passengers last year and expects to reach 8 million this year. The airline has introduced new in-flight services to all passenger classes on its Bangkok-Doha flights, including new cabin interiors, greater menu variety and revamped furnishing fabrics. Suchart Sritama The nation.
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