* IATA figures show for the third month in a row that the airline’s operations lead the world with 8.1% of international passenger traffic and 6.8% of air cargo traffic
* Airline’s 1.25bn revenue passenger kilometres in June was over 50% more than that of its closest competitor
June data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reaffirm Qatar Airways' position as the leading international carrier during the Covid-19 crisis, carrying more passengers and cargo than any other airline to support the recovery of international travel and vital global supply chains, the national carrier has stressed.
Qatar Airways’ over 1.25bn revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) during the month of June accounted for 8.1% of the global market, over 50% more than its nearest competitor, the airline said in a statement on Thursday.
Qatar Airways Cargo also continued to lead its sector with close to 1bn cargo tonne kilometres (CTK), accounting for 6.8% of the global cargo market, ensuring much needed airfreight capacity to support global trade and the transportation of essential medical and aid supplies to impacted regions.
The statement further notes that Qatar Airways has become the largest international carrier, flying over 85mn km to repatriate more than 2mn passengers on over 20,000 flights during this crisis. The airline has also worked closely with governments and companies around the world to operate over 360 charters and extra sector flights.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive HE Akbar al-Baker said, “I welcome these independent statistics from IATA, which clearly show our airline’s resilience during this crisis and unwavering commitment to our passengers and cargo customers to carry them safely and reliably when they need or want to travel and to transport their goods to where they need to be.
“Our mix of modern fuel-efficient aircraft has enabled us to remain agile, giving us the flexibility to maintain and rebuild our network sustainably by operating the right-sized aircraft to offer reliable capacity in each market. While many airlines suspended operations, we continued to maintain a robust schedule and network. Our network throughout this crisis has never fallen below 30 destinations across five continents or less than 150 weekly frequencies. Since then, we have rebuilt our network to be the largest in the region with more than 500 weekly flights to over 80 destinations.
“Our continuous operations have enabled us to accumulate unrivalled experience in carrying passengers safely throughout this pandemic. We have implemented the most advanced safety and hygiene measures on board our aircraft and in our award-winning home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), recently voted the Best Airport in the Middle East for the sixth consecutive year.”
Qatar Airways operations are not dependent on any specific aircraft type. Due to Covid-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market. The airline’s fleet of 49 Airbus A350 and 30 Boeing 787 are the ideal choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes to the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.
Qatar Airways’ onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and a complimentary protective kit and disposable face shields for passengers. Business Class passengers on aircraft equipped with Qsuite can enjoy the enhanced privacy this award-winning business seat provides, including sliding privacy partitions and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 30 destinations including London, Paris, and Frankfurt.
For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.
To ensure that travellers can plan their travel with peace of mind, the airline has also extended its booking policies to offer even more choice to its passengers. The airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original destination. The airline will not charge any fare differences for travel completed before December 31, after which fare rules will apply. All tickets booked for travel up to December 31 will be valid for two years from the date of issuance.
For full terms and conditions, one can visit qatarairways.com/RelyOnUs.
