Qatar Airways: История развития и международные направления.

Flag carrier of Qatar

The State of Qatar was a joint owner member of Gulf Air along with Oman, the UAE state of Abu Dhabi, and the Kingdom of Bahrain, until May 2002, following its withdrawal. It became the first country among the three to withdraw from the airline to solely focus on its own airline Qatar Airways, although it remained a member of the airline for six months after the government announced its complete withdrawal. On October 12, 2009, the company completed the world's first commercial passenger flight powered by a fuel made from natural gas. Also in 2009, Qatar Airways launched its first scheduled flights to Australia with Melbourne being the first city served; The airline has launched 22 new destinations since 2010, with nine more destinations announced: Ankara, Aleppo, Bangalore, Barcelona, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Hanoi, Montreal, Nice, Phuket, São Paulo, Shiraz, Kolkata, Medina, Oslo, Sofia, Stuttgart, Venice and Tokyo. Qatar Airways also launched Benghazi and Entebbe during 2011. Service to Baku and Tbilisi, originally planned for 2011, was delayed until February 1, 2012, due to "operational issues". Boeing handover of a Boeing 777 200LR in September 2011 marked Qatar Airways receiving its aircraft from this aircraft manufacturer. In July 2012, Perth became the second city served in Australia. During , Qatar Airways launched flights to Gassim in Saudi Arabia, Basra and Najaf in Iraq, Phnom Penh,#tag:ref|It had been previously informed that the carrier launched flights to this destination in
In June 2013, the airline firmed up an order for Boeing 777 300ER aircraft plus options. The commitment was firmed up during the 2014 Farnborough Air Show in a deal worth  billion; purchase rights for another aircraft of the type were also taken. In addition, the transaction included firm orders for Boeing 777Fs plus options for another with a combined value of billion. Flights to Edinburgh were launched in May 2014. In January 2016, the carrier received its first Boeing 747 nose loader. According to reports, the investigation was conducted by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. In July 2016, the U. S. Department of State held talks with Qatar government officials regarding the allegations of unfair competition. No formal action was taken by the Department of State. Qatar Airways has denied allegations that subsidies were received and Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker condemned the accusations. As of February 5, 2017, the airline had the longest regularly scheduled flight of a commercial airline, between Doha and Auckland. On September 1, 2017, it was announced that Qatar Airways bought 49% of AQA Holding, the new shareholder of Meridiana. In November 2018, the airline announced it would expand its flights to Iran, landing at Tehran and Shiraz, as of January 2019, and to Isfahan in February. In December 2018, the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, threatened to pull the company out of the Oneworld alliance in February, following accusations that alliance members Qantas and American Airlines engaged in "hostile business practices" against his carrier. In 2018, during an annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association, the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, claimed that a woman could not do his job as "it is a very challenging position." Upon receiving backlash regarding his comments, Al Baker explained that he did not intend to refer to all women at Qatar Airways. He also mentioned that he would love to have a female CEO running the company after him. On April 30, 2019, Qatar Airways retired its last Airbus A340 600 from service after around 16 years of service. The last flight was QR835 from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Hamad International Airport. The removal from service was to lower the age of its fleet as well as its ineffectiveness compared to the Boeing 777 as stated by CEO Akbar Al Baker in 2009. In July 2023, the Australian Government blocked an expansion plan from Qatar Airways that would have seen the carrier double its flights to Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. The government intervention was supported by Australian flag carrier and rival airline Qantas, who argued that Qatar's flights would "distort the market", while the government dismissed criticism from Qatar Airways and tourism operators, stating that Qatar Airways' route expansion is against Australia's national interest. In October 2023, Qatar Airways announced a collaboration with Starlink to provide high speed in flight internet. In March 2024, Qatar Airways announced Sama 2.0, marking the debut of the globe's premier AI cabin crew. Sama 2.0 represents an advanced AI team that engages passengers, crafting personalized experiences throughout their journey.

As of November 2023 the Qatar Airways' CEO is Badr Mohammed Al Meer. Al Meer succeeded longtime CEO Akbar Al Baker, who stepped down on November 5, 2023.

as of 2014, the company is fully owned by the Qatari government. Human rights organizations have criticized Qatar Airways for its relationship with the Qatari state, citing the poor human rights record in Qatar. Qatar Airways is as of February 2020 the largest shareholder in International Airlines Group (IAG) with 25.1% of the shares.

Qatar Airways Cargo, the airline freight branch, is the world's third largest international cargo carrier. Dedicated cargo flights to Cairo International Airport were launched in June 2009 complementing the passenger services already operated. On August 18, 2010, the airline launched its first US dedicated cargo service from its hub in Doha to Chicago O'Hare with a stop over in Amsterdam, Netherlands using Boeing 777 freighter aircraft. On March 13, 2013, Qatar Airways Cargo first of three A330F was delivered provided on lease from BOC aviation replacing A300 600F. Global Supply Systems operated three Boeing 747 8F aircraft under a wet lease arrangement for British Airways World Cargo until BA terminated the contract early on January 17, 2014. An agreement with Qatar Airways to operate flights for IAG Cargo using Boeing 777F was announced on the same day. On March 18, 2015, Qatar Airways Cargo announced that starting April 4, 2015, will launch a twice weekly Boeing 777 Freighter service to Los Angeles which will become Qatar Airways Cargo's fourth US freighter destination alongside Houston, Chicago and Atlanta. On December 27, 2016, Qatar Airways Cargo has announced that it will launch freighter operations to four new destinations in the Americas, Boeing 777 freighters will fly twice a week to the South American cities of Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Quito and the North American city of Miami starting February 2, 2017.

Qatar Executive is a corporate jet subsidiary of Qatar Airways, with its livery sporting a white fuselage with a slightly smaller Oryx painted in the airline's traditional colours of burgundy and grey. The Royal fleet of Qatar Amiri Flight is also painted in full Qatar Airways livery, although they are not part of the airline or Qatar Executive.

Al Maha Airways was a proposed airline to serve the Saudi Arabian market. It used a similar livery, except in green instead of burgundy. It was planned to launch in September 2014 and by May 2015 the airline had already taken delivery of 4 Airbus A320 aircraft. In February 2017, Qatar Airways announced that the Al Maha Airways project had been cancelled and the airline would not start operations due to ongoing issues gaining its operational license and the Qatar diplomatic crisis.

Qatar Airways has an oryx, the national animal of the State of Qatar, as its logo. The experiment's purpose was to demonstrate the viability of jet fuel made from a source not subject to rapidly fluctuating oil prices. Also, positioning natural gas in particular as an alternative source of jet fuel is in the interests of the Qatari government; Qatar is the world's leading exporter of natural gas. However, some experts believe that GTL fuel is likely to remain a marginal choice due to an expensive production process.

Qatar Airways has sponsored weather forecasts on Sky News since August 2005. In July 2013, Qatar Airways became FC Barcelona's primary shirt sponsor. This sponsorship ended in 2017. In August 2016, Qatar Airways became Official international Airline Sponsor for Sydney Swans. In May 2017, Qatar Airways became FIFA Partner, sponsoring all of FIFA tournaments until 2022, part of the four year deal. The deal was extended to 2030. In May 2017, Qatar Airways became the "Official Airline Partner" for the FIA Formula E Championship for the Paris and New York City races. In February 2018, Qatar Airways became FC Bayern Munich's sleeve sponsor for domestic competitions starting in the 2018 19 season, but then extended to 2025 as part of the seven year deal. In April 2018, Qatar Airways became A. S. Roma's primary shirt sponsor. In July 2018, Qatar Airways became Boca Juniors's primary shirt sponsor. In August 2018, Qatar Airways became a "prestige partner" and official airline sponsor for the 2018 Asian Games. In October 2018, Qatar Airways became the primary sponsor of the CONMEBOL club competitions for the South American market, part of the four and half year deal until the 2022 season. In November 2019, Qatar Airways became the title sponsor of the Philippines Football League. In February 2020, Qatar Airways became the premium partner for Paris Saint Germain F. C. (PSG) for three seasons until 2022. On June 30, 2022, PSG extended their sponsorship with Qatar Airways for another three seasons until 2025 after taking over Accor on the first team, women's and youth team jerseys. In August 2020, Qatar Airways became the main shirt sponsor of Club Africain of Tunisia from the 2020/21 season until the 2022/23 season. In February 2021, Qatar Airways became the sponsor for the UEFA Euro 2020. In February 2021, Qatar Airways announced its commitment to fly wild animals back to where they belong through their WeQare program. In July 2021, Qatar Airways became the sponsor for the CONCACAF national team competitions starting in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2022 23 CONCACAF Nations League for the Caribbean, Mexican and the North American markets, but then extended to 2024 after first signed in the 2017–20 cycle as part of the four year deal. On August 24, 2022, it was announced that Qatar Airways would sponsor the Egyptian football club Al Ahly SC. On February 22, 2023, Formula One announced a partnership with Qatar Airways, replacing Emirates as the Global Airline Partner in a multi year deal starting from the 2023 season. The partnership includes title sponsorship of three races in the 2023 season. On March 3, 2023, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the Bangalore franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), signed Qatar Airways as its title sponsor for three years in a ₹75 crore deal. In June 2023, Qatar Airlines was announced as the official airline partner of United for Wildlife, a group that protects endangered species and works to stop the illegal wildlife trades. On September 8, 2023, Alpine F1 Team announced a partnership with Qatar Airways to become the Official Airline Partner. The deal was also for promoting together for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix that runs from October 6–8, 2023. On November 13, 2023, Inter Milan announced a partnership with Qatar Airways to become the Official Airline Partner.

In 2015, they bought 9.99% of the International Airlines Group. Qatar has steadily increased its shareholding since then, and held 25.1% of the shares as at February 2020. In December 2019, Qatar Airways purchased a 60% stake in Rwanda's new $1.3 billion international airport, Bugesera International Airport. The MoU signed between Qatar Airways and the Rwandan government read, "The partnership features three agreements to build, own, and operate the state of the art facility." In February 2020, Qatar Airways acquired a 49% stake in Rwanda's flag carrier airline, RwandAir. The partnership is intended to be beneficial for both the airlines as it would provide technical and financial support to RwandAir for its development and hub strategy, while Qatar Airways would be able to bypass the embargo imposed by neighbouring countries. Qatar Airways also invests a 10% stake in the LATAM Airlines Group. They also own a 9.99% stake in Cathay Pacific. Qatar Airways and jetBlue are minority shareholders in JSX.

Qatar Airways flies to over 90 countries on all 6 inhabited continents including 13 destinations in India and 11 in the United States. In 2012, fourteen additional destinations were added to the Qatar Airways network: Addis Ababa, Baghdad, Belgrade, Erbil, Gassim, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Maputo, Mombasa, Perth, Saint Petersburg, Warsaw, Yangon, and Zagreb. On May 27, 2014, the touchdown of a flight from Bahrain at Doha Hamad International Airport marked the official transfer of Qatar Airways' operations to its new hub, replacing Doha International Airport. as of 2014, Qatar Airways served points worldwide

In June 2017, all Qatar Airways flights were prevented from entering Emirati, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egyptian airports due to the 2017 diplomatic crisis. All airlines in those countries had already suspended their operations in Qatar's airspace and airports. This ban was in effect until January 2021, when it was lifted. On June 18, 2019, Qatar Airways launched its first flight from Doha to Davao, Philippines. On July 1, three months after announcing Doha Mogadishu flights, Qatar Airways launched its first flight to Somalia. In August 2019, the company introduced flights to Langkawi, as a part of its expansion plans in Southeast Asia. The route is Qatar Airways' third destination in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur and Penang. In September 2020, Qatar Airways suspended flights to both Birmingham Airport and Cardiff Airport due to low demand because of COVID 19 travel restrictions. Flights to Birmingham Airport and Cardiff Airport were scheduled to restart on March 28, 2021, however the flight to Birmingham was only restarted on the July 6, 2023, and the flight to Cardiff never restarted. As of January 25, 2021, Qatar Airways' network spreads across 120 destinations after the settlement of Qatar's airspace dispute with neighbouring Gulf countries. The carrier is currently planning to expand its network to reach 130 routes by March 2021. On July 24, 2021, Qatar Airways resumed service to Cebu after eight years of absence. Cebu, the second largest city in the Philippines, became the third destination in the country to be served by Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways operates a fleet of both narrow body and widebody aircraft, using the Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 737 MAX, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner, totalling 258 aircraft.

First class seats are equipped with massage functions and an entertainment system. The cabin is available only on A380s and features a seat which can transform into a fully flat bed, alongside individual 26 inch television screens. The cabin is in a 1 2 1 configuration.

Qatar Airways offers business class passengers fully flat beds with direct aisle access in a 1 2 1 configuration on board its Airbus A380, Airbus A350, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 aircraft. On other long and medium haul aircraft, business class seats are in a 2 2 2 configuration offering flatbed seats with 180 degrees recline, with massage functions. In March 2017, Qatar Airways revealed a new business class cabin, named "Qsuite." The new cabin offer suites with doors arranged in a 1 2 1 configuration. Qsuite features single seats on the window sides, and the middle section suites can be converted into a quad room, allowing four passengers to face each other in a dining room like set up. Additionally, select "couple" seat pairs in the middle section can be converted into a double bed, offering a product similar to what other airlines offer in First Class. Launched on new Boeing 777 300ER and A350 XWB aircraft from summer 2017 and initially introduced on the Doha to London Heathrow route, the new seats will be retrofitted in the remaining fleet progressively, excluding the Airbus A330s and Airbus A380s due to their upcoming retirement of the types beginning in 2019 and 2024 as Qatar Airways introduced the Airbus A350, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777X to replace them.

Qatar Airways economy class was named best in the world in the 2009 and 2010 Skytrax Awards. Qatar Airways offers economy class passengers a seat pitch of up to 34 inches (86 cm). Economy class passengers on A330 aircraft are offered individual seat back TV screens. Passengers on Airbus A350, A380, Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft are offered touch screen IFE monitors. Qatar Airways has taken delivery of several A320 family aircraft so far with individual seat back personal televisions in every seat in economy class. The IFE is equipped with the same Thales entertainment system as used in the wide body fleet. A further four A321s and the two A319LRs will be equipped with the new IFE, as well as new upcoming A320 family aircraft deliveries. New economy seats were introduced with the launch of the 787.

Qatar Airways' in flight entertainment system is called Oryx One. With the exception of some Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 Max family aircraft, all aircraft have personal seat back entertainment screens. Some Airbus A320 family aircraft are fitted with main screen entertainment. The airline is updating Airbus A320 family aircraft to seat back AVOD. Qatar Airways also offers onboard Wi Fi on all A380, A350, B777, B787, A319, and selected A320, A321, and A330 aircraft.

Qatar Airways' Privilege Club loyalty program allows members to accumulate Avios miles from flying on Qatar Airways and oneworld airline partners and non airline partners. 1:1 transfer of Avios miles from Avios programs of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus is also offered as part of the program. Privilege Club also awards Qpoints for segments flown on Qatar Airways and oneworld partner airlines. Four tiers are offered: Burgundy, Silver, Gold and Platinum, each of which comes with increasing benefits.

In 2015 Qatar Airways opened the Al Safwa First Lounge for its first class passengers. The airline's first lounge outside Doha opened at London Heathrow's Terminal 4 in January 2012 and Qatar Airways opened its new Premium Lounge at Dubai International's Concourse D in April 2016. In January 2017, Qatar Airways opened its new premium lounge within Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport. This marks the airline's third international lounge, following the successful openings in London Heathrow and Dubai. The lounge has a capacity for up to 200 passengers and includes two terraces, one of which is designated for smoking. The airways' CEO Akbar Al Baker has previously stated, "We are not running an intelligence agency, we are an airline company. The reason why I know everything happening in the company is I'm simply everywhere, talking to everyone, listening to them". In 2014, the Swedish newspaper Expressen published a report ostensibly based around three Qatar Airways employees, whose lives were allegedly heavily "monitored" and "controlled" by the company. Qatar Airways' Swedish PR agency responded to the report by stating, "Because we do not know which individuals and which particular cases the article is based on, Qatar Airways is unable to comment".

On October 2, 2020, thirteen Australian female passengers aboard a Qatar Airways flight to Sydney from Hamad International Airport in Doha were forced to deplane before takeoff at gunpoint, and were subsequently strip searched and "subjected to an invasive internal examination" against their will. This was allegedly prompted by the discovery of a newborn baby in an airport bathroom. This evolved into a diplomatic incident between Australia and Qatar with then Australian foreign minister Marise Payne stating "the treatment of the women concerned was offensive, grossly inappropriate, and beyond circumstances in which the women could give free and informed consent". In October 2022, the affected Australian women began legal proceedings in Australia against Qatar Airways and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority under the Montreal convention. In July 2023, the Australian Government rejected a request for Qatar Airways to double capacity into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with Australian Minister for Transport Catherine King stating that the 2020 incident was a 'factor' influencing the Australian Government's rejection of the bid. In September 2023, Qatar Airways' senior vice president of global sales Matt Raos asserted that the 2020 incident was "a one off and an isolated incident" during an Australian Senate inquiry. In April 2024, The Federal Court of Australia dismissed the case, after finding that the searches did not happen onboard a Qatar Airways aircraft nor were carried out by the airline's employees. Also, Qatar strongly expressed its disapproval of the incident soon after it happened, with Qatari officials apologizing multiple times.

On September 29, 2022, The Times published an article about the death of British travel industry executive Marc Bennett in Qatar. On December 24, 2019, Bennett was found hanged in his hotel room in Doha. According to the investigation by The Times, Bennett was arrested after resigning from a senior post with Qatar Airways for a rival firm in Saudi Arabia. Qatar Airways told The Times, "On 15 October Marc left the business and evidence subsequently came to light showing that over a significant period of time Marc had emailed highly confidential documents relating to Qatar Airways to a private email address without authorization. Marc was still in Qatar at the point this discovery was made. He was arrested and this then became a police matter." However, Qatari authorities claimed that he had committed suicide and Qatar Airways stated, "Marc Bennett was a valued and popular former colleague of Qatar Airways group. He left with our best wishes."

April 19, 2007: An Airbus A300, registration A7 ABV, was written off as a result of a hangar fire during maintenance at Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies.