New service will offer seamless connectivity via the World’s Best Airport to many destinations in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to Almaty in Kazakhstan landed at Almaty International Airport on Friday, 19 November 2021, marking the launch of the airline’s newest gateway in Central Asia.

Qatar Airways in Kazakhstan

Operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, flight QR0391 was welcomed with an opening ceremony attended by Qatar Ambassador to Kazakhstan, His Excellency Mr. Abdulaziz Sultan Al-Rumaihi; Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Eastern Regions, Mr. Marwan Koleilat; Chairman of Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan, Mr. Talgat Lastayev; President of Almaty International Airport, Mr. Alp Er Tunga Ersoy and a host of airport and government officials from Kazakhstan.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. 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 travellers who wish to enjoy its rich culture, cuisine and natural scenery. 

“This important new gateway will provide enhanced connectivity to both business and leisure travellers, and will help connect passengers from Kazakhstan to our extensive global network of more than 140 destinations worldwide.”

President of Almaty International Airport, Mr. Alp Er Tunga Ersoy, said: ““We are very happy to welcome the first passenger flight from Doha by Qatar Airways which is one 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.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having now won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and now 2021). The airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, by the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021.

In addition to this, Qatar Airways has become the first global airline to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax.

This follows the success of Hamad International Airport (HIA) as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These awards provide assurance to passengers across the world that the airline’s health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented on board and at HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.