Qatar Airways has announced that it will launch flights to the cultural capital of Russia, St Petersburg, on December 19.
With this, the Russian routes operated by the Doha-based carrier will double, Qatar Airways has said in a press statement.
Qatar Airways first started flying to Russia in 2004, and now, 13 years later, the airline offers three daily flights between Doha and Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport.
The new daily service will be operated with an Airbus A320, offering 12 flatbed seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class.
Sophisticated St Petersburg is the jewel in the Russian “crown”, and home to the country’s incredible art collections, legendary Hermitage Museum and internationally-recognised historic buildings. With its elegant canals and rich history to explore, St Petersburg is sure to be an unmissable destination for both visitors and business travellers alike, thanks to its dynamic and growing economy, the statement notes.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker said, “St Petersburg is a very welcome addition to the Qatar Airways route map, and clearly shows the importance of the Russian market to us. There is enormous potential for extending our reach in Russia, thanks to its huge population and economic significance. It also offers a truly unique experience for visitors, especially to St Petersburg, with its incredible imperial history as the former Russian capital.
“This new route demonstrates our determination to continue expanding with scores of exciting new destinations to attract passengers from all over the world, and welcome them on board to enjoy the unrivalled five-star customer experience from Qatar Airways.”
The multiple-award-winning carrier said it has “many more exciting new destinations” planned for the remainder of this year and in 2018, including Canberra, Australia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Cardiff, UK, to name a few.
Qatar Airways has received a number of major accolades this year, including Airline of the Year at the 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards, which was held at the Paris Air Show. This is the fourth time that Qatar Airways has been given this global recognition as the world’s best airline.
Besides being voted Best Airline by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national flag carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.
The new daily service will operate the following schedule: QR279 departing Doha at 7.30am and arriving in St Petersburg at 1.50pm (Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat), QR280 departing St Petersburg at 5.25pm and arriving in Doha at 11.30pm (Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat), QR281 departing Doha at 3.55pm and arriving in St Petersburg at 10.10pm (Wed, Fri, Sun), and QR282 departing St Petersburg at 11.15pm and arriving in Doha at 5.20am (+1) (Wed, Fri, Sun).
