Doha: Qatar Airways announced today that its inaugural flight from Doha to Almaty in Kazakhstan landed at Almaty International Airport, marking the launch of the airlines newest gateway in Central Asia.
Operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, flight QR0391 was welcomed with an opening ceremony attended by Qatar Ambassador to Kazakhstan HE Abdulaziz bin Sultan Al Rumaihi, Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Eastern Regions Marwan Koleilat, Chairman of Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan Talgat Lastayev, President of Almaty International Airport Alp Er Tunga Ersoy and a host of airport and government officials from Kazakhstan.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive HE Akbar Al Baker said: "We are delighted to launch direct services to Almaty, which reflects the close relationship between the State of Qatar and Kazakhstan. Almaty is continuing to grow in popularity with our passengers for both business and leisure purposes, attracting travelers who wish to enjoy its rich culture, cuisine and natural scenery.
"This important new gateway will provide enhanced connectivity to both business and leisure travelers, and will help connect passengers from Kazakhstan to our extensive global network of more than 140 destinations worldwide," he added.
President of Almaty International Airport Alp Er Tunga Ersoy said: "We are very happy to welcome the first passenger flight from Doha by Qatar Airways which is one of the 5-star airlines in the world. Citizens of Kazakhstan will enjoy using high-level service quality on board and can discover more than 140 destinations. Besides, we believe that this route will help to develop the relationship between the two countries not only in tourism but also economic and culture. I would like to extend my gratitude to the management of Qatar Airways for their effort to open this route during the COVID-19 pandemic."
The new direct services to Almaty will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. As well as enjoying the award-winning in-flight service on board, passengers travelling to Kazakhstan will also have access to Oryx One, Qatar Airways in-flight entertainment system, offering the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more.
