Qatar Airways launches direct daily flights connecting Doha to Cardiff

September 14, 2017: Qatar Airways continues its ambitious expansion plans by announcing another direct service to Europe. From May 1, 2018, the new daily flight will connect Doha to Cardiff. With this, Qatar Airways will be the first Gulf carrier to service Wales and Southwest England.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new route to the Welsh capital. Many travellers currently fly to and from London using ground transport between London and Cardiff, and the launch of direct service will allow passengers to fly directly from Wales and the Southwest to Doha and beyond for the first time. We look forward to offering both business and leisure travellers this convenient connection to Cardiff and points beyond.”

Rt. Hon Carwyn Jones, Minister of Wales, said, “The daily service between Cardiff and Doha is a huge boost for Wales. It will open up Wales' links with the rest of the world and deliver new economic, leisure and travel opportunities for Welsh businesses and the people of Wales. Providing a direct route into the world's fastest growing hub airport, Hamad International Airport will also bring Wales closer to leading global markets such as India, China, Singapore and Australasia.”

Cardiff Airport Chief Executive Officer Deb Barber, said: “I am immensely proud that world-class airline Qatar Airways has recognised the potential that exists within the region and chosen Cardiff Airport to operate a daily service. The service opens up a world of connectivity for our customers to destinations across Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Asia. More than 1.4 million passengers per year from the region travel to destinations that are available on the Qatar Airways network – 90 per cent of these passengers are currently travelling from London airports, which emphasises just how much demand exists within the market. We look forward to developing our fruitful relationship with Qatar Airways over the coming months and to the start of this exciting new route in May 2018.”

The route was first announced earlier this year and is a transformative one for Cardiff Airport, as it will open up the Gulf region for passengers from South Wales and Southwest England for the first time. Travellers to and from Australia and Southeast Asia are also set to benefit from the daily long-haul flights via Doha.

The new service between Doha and Cardiff will be served by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with 22 seats in Business Class, offering passengers direct aisle access with its 1-2-1 configuration, and 232 seats in Economy Class.

Cardiff is one of 26 new routes announced by Qatar Airways planned for the remainder of this year and 2018, including Chiang Mai, Thailand; Canberra, Australia and San Francisco, US, to name a few. The airline connects travellers to more cities in Europe than ever before, with recent launches to Kyiv, Prague, Skopje and Dublin, to name just a few.

Qatar Airways currently serves London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh, with Cardiff to be the airline's fifth destination in the UK.