QATAR AIRWAYS LAUNCHES BOEING 787 DREAMLINER FLIGHTS TO LONDON HEATHROW

London, UNITED KINGDOM – Qatar Airways today launched its inaugural long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner service on the Doha – London Heathrow route, becoming the first airline to operate regular scheduled flights with the state-of-the art aircraft to and from the UK.

Despite wintry weather, Qatar Airways’ 787 – flight QR075 – was warmly welcomed at London Heathrow this morning by a special arrival ceremony.

An official delegation from Doha was on the inaugural flight from the airline’s Doha hub, including Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker and VIP guest His Excellency Michael O’Neill, British Ambassador to the State of Qatar.

The Dreamliner’s debut from the Doha-based carrier marks the start of an exciting new era for travellers to and from the UK, who will have the opportunity to travel the world onboard one of the most spacious and comfortable aircraft in the skies today.

Combining breakthrough technology with a human approach to design, it is the first time Boeing has developed a plane from the point of view of passenger experience. Qatar Airways worked closely with Boeing on the design interiors being a key customer of the manufacturer’s newest aircraft. The 787 is designed as the next generation aircraft for air travel well into the 21st century offering unrivalled passenger comfort and space.

On arrival at Heathrow, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Today we inaugurate our 787 on the London Heathrow route, putting Qatar Airways firmly on the global aviation map as a carrier with a determination to continue its expansion drive and improve an already superior in-flight product.

“The Doha – Heathrow route is one of our most popular international routes and it was only fitting that we deploy our new 787 to and from London.”

Initially, one of the airline’s five daily flights is being operated with the Boeing 787 – Flight QR 075 departing Doha at 0625 hrs, arriving at London Heathrow at 1105 hrs, with the return flight QR 076 departing London Heathrow at 1505 hrs, arriving in Doha at 0045 hrs the following day.

Qatar Airways took delivery of the first of 60 Dreamliners last month with the third 787 joining the airline’s fleet just days ago. Since taking delivery of its first 787 four weeks ago, Qatar Airways has been flying the aircraft between Doha and both Dubai and Kuwait allowing cabin crew to familiarise themselves with the airplane.

Added Al Baker: “We will be introducing the Dreamliner on our daily Doha – Perth route from February 1 next year, the first ever 787 commercial service to Australia giving travellers between the UK and Australia a unique 787 experience of unrivalled comfort and style all the way with the world’s Five Star and Best Airline.”

Soon after arrival, Al Baker was back on board the aircraft giving assembled guests at Heathrow a personal tour of the 787 and its unique features.

Qatar Airways has 254 custom-made seats across its 787 Business and Economy Class cabins with specially designed interiors. Business Class is configured 1–2–1 with 22 seats, while Economy has 232 seats in a 3–3–3 layout.

The airline’s 787s are the world’s first fully connected Dreamliners with wireless facilities for passengers to remain in touch with their friends and loved ones on the ground through the internet and SMS mobile texting across both the Business and Economy cabins.

A striking feature of every seat throughout Qatar Airways’ 787 is the award-winning touch screen Android system, where all passengers are able to navigate through personal handsets a truly interactive service offering more than 1,000 movie, TV programmes, music and gaming entertainment options in a sophisticated and user friendly way, just like the latest smart phones.

The touch-screen control unit has a unique dual screen interface allowing passengers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying a movie on their personal screen. Passengers can stay connected through WIFI and GSM telephony, sending both text and MMS messages, with each seat equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets.

Employing state-of-the-art technologies that actually invigorate and promote health and comfort onboard, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner offers a new kind of flying experience ensuring passengers arrive at their destinations more refreshed, with the new technology reducing jet lag and travel sickness.

Unique features to the 787 Dreamliner include larger windows, reduced cabin noise and cleaner cabin air, as well as smoother ride technology resulting in an eight-fold reduction in the number of passengers experiencing motion sickness. This system senses turbulence and commands wing control surfaces to counter it, smoothing out the ride.

Other features include lower cabin pressure at higher altitude ensuring less fatigue, an air purification system ensuring cleaner and healthier air, as well as mood lighting throughout the aircraft.

Made up of composite materials, the 787 Dreamliner is lighter and more fuel efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range. Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 115 aircraft to 122 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. This year alone, the airline introduced 12 new routes, with 2013 promising to be another 12 months of aggressive expansion with six new destinations already announced and many more to start.