First Qatar Airways flight lands in Adelaide

The city of Adelaide welcomed the first Qatar Airways flight to arrive at its international airport from Doha, Qatar, yesterday - May 3.
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Adelaide is the fourth city in Australia to be served by Qatar Airways, which has been flying to Melbourne since 2009, to Perth since 2012 and to Sydney since March this year. The new route is expected to generate an estimated 228 jobs across the state and contribute more than AU$41 million to the local visitor economy. 

The airline is the first to fly the new-generation Airbus A350 to Australia, connecting Australian passengers to more than 150 destinations on its route map on board one of the youngest and most modern aircraft in the skies. 

The A350 was built first and foremost to provide the ultimate passenger experience with wider seats in both Business and Economy Class, the lowest twin engine noise level of any aircraft in its class, advanced air conditioning technology and full LED lighting, all working together to enhance the comfort of passengers while reducing fatigue after a long-haul flight. 

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, who was on board the inaugural flight, said: “We are proud to be the first airline to fly the Airbus A350, for which we were the global launch customer, to Australia. Adelaide is an important addition to our route map giving Qatar Airways its fourth gateway into Australia, and we are pleased to offer the people of South Australia the most modern aircraft in the industry to connect them with 38 countries in Europe, 21 destinations in Africa and 27 destinations in the Middle East.”