Qatar Airways flies into Philly

Above: A traditional water salute welcomes Qatar Airways' inaugural flight at the Philadelphia International Airport on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in Philadelphia.

With the launch of the daily service between Philadelphia and Qatar Airways’ hub in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, the city becomes destination number 137 in the airline’s expanding worldwide network.

Qatar Airways now operates 35 passenger flights a week between the United States and Doha – daily from New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.

Flight QR727 arrived to a warm welcome at a grand airport ceremony attended by a number of dignitaries, including Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, Mayor of Philadelphia, Michael A. Nutter, and CEO of Philadelphia International Airport, Mark Gale.

The maiden flight carried international media and airline management, including Mr. Al Baker. The new route offers a connection between Philadelphia and a vast number of destinations across the Middle East, Africa, India and Asia Pacific via Doha, while the morning departure time from Philadelphia offers US passengers a unique opportunity to access an entirely new schedule of connecting flights out of Doha.

Mr Al Baker and Philadelphia airport authorities delivered speeches at Philadelphia International Airport to mark the occasion, noting the economic impact of Qatar Airways’ arrival in the city. “I would like to take this special opportunity to thank the people of Philadelphia and local airport authorities for their great support in helping Qatar Airways launch passenger flights to this vibrant city,” said Mr. Al Baker.

“Today, Philadelphia joins our existing North American hubs: Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Houston and Montreal,” continued Al Baker. “But only our newest gateway offers a unique, morning route to Doha, our earliest departure from North America, and provides passengers with unprecedented access to a new schedule of convenient connections to our entire global network.”

Philadelphia is a key destination for business and leisure travelers alike. One of the world’s busiest airports, it sees 30.5 million passengers a year.

“Our 5-star service begins by forging a connection with the communities we serve and we appreciate the opportunity to work together with this great city,” added Mr Al Baker.

Mr Al Baker explained that Philadelphia marked yet another significant milestone for the airline, which is expanding its global network at a remarkable pace.

Qatar Airways’ Doha to Philadelphia route is being operated with a Boeing 777-300ER in a two-class configuration of up to 293 seats in Economy Class and up to 42 in Business.