QATAR Airways inaugural flight from Doha to Langkawi touched down at the Langkawi International Airport on Oct 15 to a special water salute to welcome its arrival.
The following day, a special Qatar Airways flight flew in from Doha bringing a number of international media as well as VIPs, including Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker, to Langkawi to celebrate the launch of this new destination for the airline.
On their arrival at Langkawi International Airport, the visitors were given a red carpet welcome by Malaysia Airport Holdings (MAH) chief operating officer Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh, Langkawi Development Authority chief executive officer Dr Hezri Adnan, and Qatar Airways senior vice president Asia Pacific Marwan Koleilat, as well as senior airport officials.
In attendance were special guests Ambassador Fahad Mohammed Kafoud of the State of Qatar to Malaysia, and Mohamad Shahir Sabarudin, the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Malaysia in Qatar.
In his speech, Akbar said: “I am thrilled to have been on today’s special flight to Langkawi, and to be here celebrating our arrival to this stunning archipelago.
“Langkawi marks the eighth new destination added to Qatar Airways’ rapidly expanding network in 2019.
“With its forested hills, stunning white sand beaches and glimmering turquoise waters, Langkawi is fast becoming one of Southeast Asia’s most sought-after destinations, and the reason why we knew we had to launch our flights here.”
Akbar added that Qatar Airways’ initial four times a week service will be expanded to five times’ weekly from Oct 27.
He said: “We look forward to welcoming business and leisure travellers alike on board so that they may experience this Jewel of Kedah.”
MAH’s Mohd Shukrie, in his speech, said: “I would like to welcome Qatar Airways to Langkawi International Airport, the first Middle Eastern airline to fly to this beautiful island.
“The inclusion of a new international airline to Langkawi will definitely spur our Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign by increasing the number of tourists into Langkawi.”
This new route will be serviced by the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 22 Business class seats and 232 seats in Economy class, with spacious cabins and specially-designed interiors.
As well as enjoying the award-winning in-flight service on board, passengers travelling to Langkawi will also have access to Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offering the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and more.
Besides Langkawi, Qatar’s national carrier has also launched other exciting new destinations in 2019, including to Lisbon (Portugal), Valletta (Malta), Rabat (Morocco), Davao (the Philippines), Izmir (Turkey), and Mogadishu (Somalia).
The airline also plans to add to its extensive network by flying to Gaborone in Botswana in December, followed by Luanda in Angola and Osaka in Japan in 2020.
Multiple award-winning Qatar Airways was named airline of the year for the fifth time by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It also landed accolades for world’s best Business Class, best Business Class seat, and best airline in the Middle East.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft to more than 160 destinations worldwide via its hub at Hamad International Airport (HIA), located south of the capital, Doha.
For more, visit Qatar Airways website at www.qatarairways.com.
