Summary
- Lisbon is back on Qatar Airways’ network map, with flights resuming on June 6 with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
- Qatar Airways will also start flying to Venice and Hamburg in the coming months.
- The airline’s hub airport, Doha’s Hamad International Airport, also reported a 31% increase in passenger traffic in 2023.
As airlines bring back previously dropped routes amid travel recovery, Qatar Airways is also resuming its flights to Lisbon, Portugal, for its summer schedule. The airline expects an extensive network expansion this year, and the Lisbon service is part of that plan.
Lisbon is back on the network map
Qatar Airways has announced that it will resume flights between Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) and Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) in June as part of its 2024 network expansion of over 170 destinations.
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The airline will deploy its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft on the route, commencing on June 6. Flights will depart from Doha four times a week, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, as per the airline’s website. Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori, commented,
“As we continue to expand in the European market, we celebrate the resumption of our flights to the beautiful city of Lisbon. Qatar Airways passengers can now enjoy very efficient ways to travel between Qatar and Portugal, as well as connect between Portugal and Asia, Africa, Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, through the Best Airport in Middle East which offers customers the best duty free and best lounges in the region.”
To promote travel in Qatar, the airline highlighted that connecting passengers can opt for stopover packages through the Discover Qatar initiative, which includes 24-hour check-in facilities, so guests can make the most of their time in the country.
Post-pandemic recovery
Qatar Airways recently announced its 2024 summer schedule, adding Venice, Italy and Hamburg, Germany to the list. Earlier this month, the airline expanded its offering by including Tashkent in Uzbekistan into its schedule in the coming months.
In January, it also received approval to launch daily flights between Qatar and Madagascar. The announcement came after a successful meeting between the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) and Madagascar Civil Aviation (ACM).
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Recently, the airline announced that it will increase its Doha-Boston service to 10 weekly flights, its highest frequency ever on this sector. Qatar Airways launched this route in March 2016, and the latest flight addition will come into effect in May.
Doha airport sees more traffic, too
With international travel posting a strong recovery, hub airports like Doha’s Hamad International Airport are registering strong footfall. In January, it was reported that the Qatari airport saw a 31% increase in passenger traffic and a 22% increase in aircraft movements in 2023.
The airport served 255 destinations last year and also attracted new airlines, such as Vistara from India, Xiamen Airlines from China, and Spain’s Air Iberia. Of course, its primary airline, Qatar Airways, also contributed heavily towards these figures, by offering many connecting opportunities to global travelers.
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Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, who is also the management chair of DOH, highlighted that the “airport’s record-breaking year is a testament to the aviation industry’s unmatched agility and unwavering spirit.”
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