Qatar Airways facts for kids
A Boeing 777-300ER of Qatar Airways
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| Founded | November 22, 1993 |
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| Commenced operations | January 20, 1994 |
| Hubs | Hamad International Airport |
| Frequent-flyer program | Qatar Airways Privilege Club (Avios; formerly Qmiles) |
| Alliance | Oneworld |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 230 |
| Destinations | 198 |
| Parent company | Government of Qatar |
| Headquarters | Qatar Airways Towers, Doha, Qatar |
| Key people | Badr Mohammed Al Meer (CEO) |
| Revenue |  QR 76,274 million (March 2023) |
| Operating income | QR 11,860 million (March 2023) |
| Net income |  QR 4,406 million (March 2023) |
| Total assets | QR 151,857 million (March 2023) |
| Employees | 48,475 (March 2023) |
Qatar Airways is the main airline of Qatar, a country in the Middle East. It is based in Doha, Qatar, and flies to over 170 places around the world. The airline has more than 200 airplanes and employs over 43,000 people. Since 2013, Qatar Airways has been part of the Oneworld alliance, which is a group of airlines that work together. Their slogan is "Going Places Together."
Contents
History of Qatar Airways
How Qatar Airways Started
Qatar Airways was created by the government of Qatar on November 22, 1993. Flights began on January 20, 1994. One of its first destinations was Amman. By April 1995, the airline had 75 employees and two Airbus A310 planes. They flew to many cities, including Bangkok, Cairo, and Dubai.
In 1997, Qatar Airways started flying to London. They also added new Airbus A300 planes to their fleet. The airline continued to grow, ordering more modern planes like the Airbus A320 in 1998.
Growing Bigger and Joining Alliances
In 2001, Qatar Airways ordered the very large Airbus A380 aircraft. In 2003, it was the first airline to restart international flights to Iraq. That same year, Qatar Airways ordered many new planes, including Airbus A330s and Airbus A340-600s. They also started flying to new cities like Shanghai and Manchester.
By 2004, Qatar Airways made its first profit. They carried 3.35 million passengers that year. The airline kept adding more destinations, like Zürich and Osaka.
In 2007, Qatar Airways made a big deal with Airbus to buy 80 Airbus A350 XWB planes. They also ordered many Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 777 planes. These new planes helped them fly to even more places, including New York and Stockholm.
In 2009, Qatar Airways made history with the world's first commercial passenger flight using a special fuel made from natural gas. They also started flying to Australia, with Melbourne as their first city there.
In 2012, Qatar Airways announced it would join the Oneworld airline alliance. This meant they would work closely with other major airlines like British Airways. They officially joined Oneworld in October 2013.
In November 2012, Qatar Airways received its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. They were the first airline in the Middle East to get this advanced plane. They quickly started using it for flights to Dubai and London.
In 2014, Qatar Airways launched an all-business class flight to London. They also started receiving their first Airbus A380 superjumbo planes, which began flying to London in October 2014. In December 2014, they became the first airline to use the new Airbus A350-900 aircraft, flying it to Frankfurt.
In 2017, Qatar Airways launched the longest regular commercial flight at the time, from Doha to Auckland, New Zealand.
In 2019, Qatar Airways stopped using its Airbus A340-600 planes to make its fleet younger and more efficient.
In 2021, Qatar Airways resumed flights to several countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after a period when flights were stopped. This allowed them to expand their network again.
In March 2024, Qatar Airways introduced "Sama 2.0," which is the world's first AI (Artificial Intelligence) cabin crew. This AI team helps passengers and creates personalized experiences during their flights.
In February 2025, Qatar Airways bought a 25% share in Virgin Australia Holdings. This deal also allowed Virgin Australia to start new flights from Australia to Doha, operated by Qatar Airways planes.
How Qatar Airways Works
Key Leaders
As of November 2023, the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Qatar Airways is Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. He took over from Akbar Al Baker, who was the CEO for a long time, from 1996 to 2023.
Who Owns Qatar Airways?
The government of Qatar fully owns Qatar Airways. This has been the case since July 2013. The Qatar Airways Group employs over 48,000 people.
Parts of Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways has several different companies under its main group. These include:
- Qatar Airways Cargo (for carrying goods)
- Qatar Aircraft Catering Company (for making food for flights)
- Qatar Airways Holidays (for vacation packages)
- Qatar Duty Free (for shops at the airport)
- Qatar Aviation Services (for ground services at the airport)
- Qatar Executive (for private jet services)
Qatar Airways Cargo
Qatar Airways Cargo is the airline's part that carries freight (goods). It is one of the largest cargo airlines in the world. They use special cargo planes like the Boeing 777F and Boeing 747-8F to transport goods around the globe.
Qatar Executive
Qatar Executive is a special service by Qatar Airways that offers private jet flights. Their planes have a white body with a smaller version of the airline's Oryx logo.
Al Maha Airways
Al Maha Airways was an airline that Qatar Airways planned to start to serve the Saudi Arabian market. It had a similar look to Qatar Airways but used green instead of burgundy. However, the project was canceled in 2017 due to problems getting its license and a diplomatic situation in the region.
Airline Design (Livery)
The logo of Qatar Airways is an Arabian oryx, which is the national animal of Qatar. The planes are light grey with the word "Qatar" written in burgundy letters on the front. The oryx logo in burgundy is on the tail of the plane. This design was first shown in 2006.
Special Fuel Test
On October 12, 2009, a Qatar Airways plane flew from London to Doha using a mix of regular jet fuel and a special fuel made from natural gas. This experiment showed that jet fuel could be made from other sources, which is important for Qatar because it is a big exporter of natural gas.
Sponsorships and Partnerships
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Qatar Airways sponsors many sports teams and events around the world.
- From 2013 to 2017, they sponsored the football club FC Barcelona.
- Since 2017, they have been a partner of FIFA, sponsoring all FIFA tournaments, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This partnership was extended to 2030.
- They also became the sleeve sponsor for FC Bayern Munich in 2018.
- In 2020, they became a partner for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (PSG) and later became their main shirt sponsor.
- In 2021, they sponsored the UEFA Euro 2020 football tournament.
- In February 2023, Formula One announced a partnership with Qatar Airways, making them the Global Airline Partner. They also sponsor some Formula One races.
- In June 2023, Qatar Airways partnered with United for Wildlife to help protect endangered animals and stop illegal wildlife trade.
- In June 2024, Qatar Airways expanded its sponsorship to include UEFA national team competitions like the UEFA Nations League.
- In September 2024, Qatar Airways became the new airline sponsor for the UEFA Champions League until 2030.
Investments
Qatar Airways has invested in other airlines and companies.
- They own a large share (25.1%) of International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns airlines like British Airways.
- In 2019, they bought a 60% share in Rwanda's new international airport, Bugesera International Airport.
- In 2020, they bought a 49% share in RwandAir, Rwanda's national airline.
- They also own a 10% share in LATAM Airlines Group and a 9.99% share in Cathay Pacific.
- Qatar Airways is also a partner and official cargo airline for MotoGP.
Where Qatar Airways Flies
Qatar Airways flies to over 90 countries across all six inhabited continents. This includes many cities in India and the United States.
In May 2014, Qatar Airways moved all its flights to the new Hamad International Airport in Doha. This new airport became their main base.
In June 2017, Qatar Airways flights were temporarily stopped from entering airports in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt due to a diplomatic situation. This ban was lifted in January 2021, allowing Qatar Airways to fly to these countries again.
As of January 2021, Qatar Airways flies to 120 destinations. They planned to expand to 130 routes by March 2021.
On September 1, 2023, Qatar Airways restarted its direct flights from Doha to Auckland, New Zealand. This route is one of the longest non-stop flights in the world.
In January 2025, Qatar Airways resumed flights to Damascus, Syria, after 13 years. They also announced new flights to Malta starting in July 2025.
In March 2025, Qatar Airways announced they would increase flights to 11 global destinations to meet high travel demand. For example, they planned to operate eight daily flights to London Heathrow by October 27.
Qatar Airways has agreements with many other airlines and even some train systems. This means you can book a flight with Qatar Airways, but part of your journey might be on another airline they partner with. Some of their partners include:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- China Southern Airlines
- Deutsche Bahn (Railway)
- Finnair
- Japan Airlines
- JetBlue
- LATAM Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Royal Jordanian
- RwandAir
- SNCF (Railway)
- SriLankan Airlines
- Virgin Australia
Qatar Airways Fleet
Qatar Airways uses a mix of different types of airplanes. Their fleet includes planes from both Airbus and Boeing, such as the Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 737 MAX, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. They have a total of 230 aircraft.
Inside the Plane (Cabin Classes)
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First Class
First Class is the most luxurious cabin, available only on their Airbus A380 planes. The seats are very large and can turn into a flat bed. Each seat has a big TV screen.
Business Class
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Qatar Airways offers comfortable Business Class seats. On their newer planes like the Airbus A380, A350, Boeing 777, and 787, the seats can become fully flat beds and have direct access to the aisle.
In 2017, Qatar Airways introduced a new Business Class called "Qsuite." These suites have doors for privacy. Some seats in the middle can even be turned into a "quad room" for four people to sit together, or into a double bed for two people. Qsuite is being added to many of their Boeing 777 and A350 planes.
Economy Class
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In Economy Class, passengers have comfortable seats with good legroom. Most planes have individual TV screens on the back of each seat for entertainment. Newer planes like the Airbus A350, A380, Boeing 777, and 787 have touch-screen entertainment systems. Many planes also offer Wi-Fi and USB ports for charging devices.
In-flight Entertainment
Qatar Airways' entertainment system is called Oryx One. Most planes have personal screens with movies, TV shows, music, and games. They also offer Wi-Fi on many of their aircraft.
Privilege Club (Frequent Flyer Program)
The Privilege Club is Qatar Airways' loyalty program. Members can earn "Avios" miles when they fly with Qatar Airways or its partner airlines in the Oneworld alliance. These miles can be used for future flights or other rewards. The program has different levels: Burgundy, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, each with more benefits.
Airport Lounges
Qatar Airways has special lounges at airports for its premium passengers. In 2015, they opened the Al Safwa First Lounge at Hamad International Airport in Doha for First Class passengers. They also have lounges in other major airports like London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle. These lounges offer comfortable places to relax before flights, often with food and drinks.
Aircraft Incidents
- April 19, 2007: An Airbus A300 plane was damaged beyond repair by a fire during maintenance in Abu Dhabi.
- December 8, 2017: An Airbus A321 plane was badly damaged by a fire at Hamad International Airport in Doha.
See also
In Spanish: Qatar Airways para niños
- Transport in Qatar
