DOHA - Qatar Airways has begun preparations for its second route launch of the year the first being Guangzhou in China with another Indian gateway being added to its route network from June 15.
The southern coastal city of Kozhikode, formerly known as Calicut, will be the airline's 83rd destination with daily non-stop scheduled flights from Doha. Qatar Airways already operates flights to Cochin and Trivandrum in the Indian state of Kerala. Kozhikode is Kerala's third-largest city with a population of almost 500,000 It is home to serene beaches, historic sites, lush green scapes and world-renowned Ayurvedic health treatments.
The new route should have tremendous appeal for resident Keralites living and working in the Gulf region, as well as tourists from across Europe and other parts of the world.
Flight QR284 will depart Doha International Airport at 11.10pm and arrive in Kozhikode at 6am. QR285 departs Kozhikode International Airport at 7am and arrives in Doha at 8.45am.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said India remained one of the airline's fastest-growing markets.
"Our new route to Kozhikode further demonstrates our commitment to India and we are extremely pleased to see the route selling well with just a week to go for the launch," he said.
"Our new flights take our capacity into India up to 58 flights a week spread across nine cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Trivandrum, Nagpur and Hyderabad. This is a significant presence for Qatar Airways in India, and we look forward to strengthening our position across the country further over the years."
By Rabin Gupta
© The Peninsula 2008
