Qatar Airways surges on mission impossible

Years of working around a local air corridor blockade by several gulf states has readied Qatar Airways to do the impossible through COVID-19. That impossible, of keeping the world's air routes open, has won the Doha-based airline many friends both in high places and amongst the traveling public according to Thierry Antinori, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Qatar Airways. "We have learned resilience from the blockade and despite 18 air routes being closed the airline has grown by 35 percent in the past three years," said Mr. Antinori. SEE: Airlineratings.com on Channel 7's Sunrise program SEE: Moonlight, sleep tight, from a 747 pilot. "We have arranged all sorts of charters to get stranded people home." "One was for a Perth, Australia, mining company to get workers from Madagascar to home another was Christchurch, New Zealand to Paris." "Many others involved getting Europeans back from Asia," said Mr. Antinori. Overnight, Qatar Airways' Doha Operations Center became the world's solution for repatriation. "We had calls from governments across the globe for help," said Mr. Antinori. "When the pandemic hit our chief Akbar Al Baker said let's focus on the situation, access the situation, and see how can we help." "As long as a country was open we could keep flying." At one point recently Qatar Airways was providing 45 percent of Australia's inbound and outbound capacity. According to IATA Qatar Airways’ over 1.3 billion revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) during the month of April accounted for 17.8 percent of the global market, over triple its nearest competitor, and more than the next four airlines combined. Qatar Airways Cargo also continued to lead its sector with more than 900 million cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK) accounting for 7.2 percent of the global cargo market, ensuring much-needed airfreight capacity to support global trade and the transportation of essential medical and aid supplies to impacted regions. Put simply Qatar Airways has become the largest carrier in the world flying over 50 million kilometers to repatriate over 1.8 million passengers on over 15,000 flights during the crisis. It has also operated over 220 charters and extra sector flights to aid governments and companies. And all this flying has had a major bonus says Mr. Antoniri in that Qatar Airways has "accumulated unrivaled experience of how to safely and reliably carry passengers during these uncertain times," having taken more people home on more flights to more destinations than any other airline. And the secret to keeping flying was the airline's huge freight business and the Airbus A350 which is a real winner says, Mr. Antinori. "The A350 is ideal with huge freight capability and great economics and provided the lifeline for passengers and cargo." Qatar has re-built its long-range international network around the A350, 777-300ER, with some 787-8 flying all of which offer significant freight capability. The airline also has 27 dedicated freighters. The upside to the 777-300ER and A350 is that they are fitted with the airline's award-winning Qsuite which gives business passengers a closed-door environment. And the airline is looking to open new routes as demand dictates and restrictions are lifted said, Mr. Antinori. Qatar Airways is getting solid load factors and bookings are increasing but passengers are booking very late making planning even more difficult. The airline is now operating to 19 European destinations and four in the USA.