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Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker speaks to a delegation of Korean journalists about the new Incheon-Doha route during a recent press conference at the airline’s headquarters in Doha. / Korea Times |
By Do Je-hae
Korea Times Correspondent.
DOHA, QATQR -- The recent launch of the Incheon-Doha direct flight on March 29 by Qatar Airways reflects the carrier's focus on the Northeast Asian region as a primary market.
``After Tokyo, Seoul is the second-largest metropolitan area in the world with residents in the capital area comprising of almost 25 million people. Such a large population within a short distance of Incheon International Airport represents an important market for us,'' Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker said during a recent press conference for Korean journalists at the carrier's headquarters here said.
``We continue to see Seoul as a key contributor to our overall network.''
Previously, the airline provided an Incheon-Doha route that involved a transfer in Osaka, Japan and took a total of 14 hours and 30 minutes. The new direct route will shorten travel time by 5 hours and operate seven times a week. Passengers on the Incheon-Doha route will be provided with Korean meals and a wide variety of entertainment choices in Korean. There are 300 Korean flight attendants working with the airline.
There are high business expectations from the Korean market with the non-stop flight.
``Korea is one of the biggest importers of natural gas in the world, and imported around $8.4 billion worth of natural gas from Qatar in 2009. To support this business, there are many people travelling between Seoul and Doha for work purposes,'' he said.
The direct flight is expected to increase the number of passengers and improve cooperative relations in various cultural and sporting areas as well. The trade volume between the two countries is some 17 billion dollars. A large number of projects featuring Korean firms are taking place in the Middle East, including construction projects in Qatar, as well as a $20 billion nuclear power plant project in Al Ain in the U.A.E.
Al-Baker said he takes great pride in the fact that the airline has been able to expand and provide high quality services for passengers, despite the global downturn that has affected many airlines worldwide.
``We are one of the airlines that are least hit by the global economic crisis,'' he said. ``We generate enough revenue to provide the best services for our passengers,'' the CEO said, underlining the carrier's ``efficient management'' as one of the primary keys to its success.
Qatar Airways has been operating a Premium Terminal at the Doha International Airport, the first facility of its kind in the world, built for exclusive usage by first and business class passengers.
It is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, recording almost 40 percent annual growth since 1997, and has ordered more than 220 large aircraft as part of efforts to increase its profile as one of the world's premier airlines.
Qatar Airways flies to more than 85 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and the Americas, and plans to expand its destinations to 120 cities by 2013.
It is regularly voted by travelers as featuring one of the best airline lounges in the world.
Doha, the capital of Qatar, is renowned for a variety of tourist attractions, including traditional markets and museums as well as large shopping centers.
The CEO said that his airline is devoted to raising Qatar's profile as a tourism destination with collaboration with the country's tourism authority.
``We don't want mass tourism. Instead, we are targeting a select number of high-quality tourists,'' he said.
He emphasized that Doha is unique in comparison to other Middle East business hubs like Dubai, saying that Qatar seeks economic development while keeping its Arabic tradition.
In addition, the airline is leading the New Doha International Airport project to position the airport as an aviation hub in the Middle East.
The 47-year-old became the carrier's CEO at age 31.
When asked about the secrets to his early success, he cited ``discipline and hard work,'' traits he finds common in Koreans. |
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