Qatar Airways will boost services to Thailand with the introduction of non-stop flights to Phuket from October 26.
The airline currently serves the Doha-Phuket route daily via a linked service through Kuala Lumpur.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar al-Baker said, "The start of non-stop services from Doha to Phuket offers travellers from around the world access to the popular tourist destination in a reduced time, from across our expanding global network.
"With the upcoming winter holidays, this is a great opportunity for travellers from the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas to plan their break with a beach vacation to Phuket.
"Visitor numbers to Phuket are on the rise and Qatar Airways will look to take advantage of the non-stop connections to the city in the days to come," he said.
The direct flights to Phuket will be operated with an Airbus A330 in a two class-configuration of 24 seats in business class and 236 in economy.
Qatar Airways started operations in Thailand more than 14 years ago with non-stop flights linking Doha with Bangkok. The carrier now serves the Thai capital three times daily and will increase that to four times daily from December 16. It launched daily flights from Doha to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur in 2010.
Europe is a particularly strong growth visitor market for Phuket with the UK, Russia, Germany, France and Italy among the top five feeder markets. This makes Doha a strategic linking point for long-haul trips, thanks to the opening of Hamad International Airport.
"A dedicated non-stop Phuket service will help meet the growing demand the airline has for this particular destination. Moreover, Europe is an extremely popular destination for a number of Thailand-based locals as well. We are very pleased to be able to continue to offer more options to those looking to travel with us and enjoy our award-winning five-star service," added al-Baker.
The schedule from October 26 is as follows (all times local): Daily - QR840 departing Doha at 7am and arriving in Phuket at 5.40pm; Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays - QR841 departing Phuket at 7.30pm and arriving in Doha at 10.50pm; Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays - QR841 departing Phuket at 7.05pm and arriving in Doha at 10.25pm.
© Gulf Times 2014
