Qatar Airways supported the Team Qatar Flag Relay 2019, which took place last Friday and involved thousands of participants from local communities.
The mass relay saw the Qatar flag travel across five different locations in Qatar, starting at the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) headquarters and culminating in the handover of the flag at Hamad International Airport (HIA) to continue its journey to Tokyo, Japan, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Japan’s ambassador to Qatar Kazuo Sunaga had the honour of handing over the flag to Qatari Captain Khalid al-Hamadi on board a Qatar Airways flight to Tokyo.
The annual flag relay event symbolises the unity, diversity and achievements of Qatar and coincides with the country’s National Day celebrations.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive HE Akbar al-Baker said, “It is an honour for Qatar Airways to support the Team Qatar Flag Relay 2019 and I thank the Qatar Olympic Committee for providing this opportunity for all sections of the community to come together to unite, inspire and share our pride in the nation.
“As our country’s national carrier, we are passionate about bringing people from around the globe to Qatar, and from Qatar to the world. We wish Team Qatar the very best of luck in their preparations ahead of Tokyo 2020.”
HIA chief operating officer Badr Mohamed al-Meer added, “We are proud to be a part of Team Qatar’s Flag Relay, which is a symbolic annual event signifying the unity and diversity of Qatar.
As the gateway of Qatar to the world, we have the unique privilege of being the ultimate stop for our iconic flag in Qatar before it finds its way on board a Qatar Airways flight to Tokyo 2020.”
Qatar Airways holds an extensive global sports portfolio, sponsoring top-level sporting events and some of the biggest football clubs around the world, including AS Roma, Boca Juniors and FC Bayern Munich.
As the official FIFA partner, Qatar Airways sponsors the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, reflecting the values of sport as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s brand message — ‘Going Places Together’.
The mass relay saw the Qatar flag travel across five different locations in Qatar, starting at the QOC headquarters and culminating in the handover of the flag at HIA, to continue its journey to Tokyo, Japan.
