Qatar Airways is to introduce a non-stop link to the popular Indonesian leisure destination of Bali this summer. The carrier will offer a daily Doha – Denpasar service from July 21, 2014 at which time it will end its existing service to the destination which operates via a stopover in Changi International Airport in Singapore.
The direct link will reduce journey times to a destination that has seen growing demand from across the Qatar Airways network over the past couple of years. It will initially be flown by an Airbus A330, but from October 2014 will be switched to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
“The start of non-stop services from Doha to Bali offers travellers from around the world access to the popular leisure destination in a reduced time, from across our expanding global network,” said His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer, Qatar Airways. “We are delighted to confirm that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will operate on this route from later this year, offering the very latest in design and comfort to passengers who wish to travel on this non-stop route from the Middle East.”
The route is sure to be popular for those travelling from Qatar Airways wider route network in Europe, The Middle East and Asia, with connecting journey times to Bali reduced with one single international transfer at Doha’s soon to be opened Hamad International Airport. Our analysis of MIDT data shows an estimated 135,000 passengers flew with Qatar Airways to Bali in 2013 with Doha only the sixth largest source or end market for passengers.
Elsewhere, in Saudi Arabia, Qatar Airways will introduce a seventh destination with the launch of flights to Al Hofuf from May 15, 2014 and will boost frequencies on existing link to Gassim from the same date to meet the increasing consumer and business demands on these routes.
The new service to Al Ahsa Airport in Al Hofuf will be operated on a four times weekly basis using a two-class, 144-seat Airbus A320, while weekly frequencies to Gassim will be doubled from four to eight a week. The expansion in Saudi Arabia follows the recent addition of two more weekly rotations to Madinah from five to seven a week from March 30, 2014 and will see the carrier operate 79 flights per week to the country.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways will be boosting capacity on its Doha – Moscow route from September 1, 2014 with an increase in weekly frequencies, as well as new aircraft to help meet the growth in demand to the Russian capital. The carrier will add two additional rotations, bringing the total weekly frequency to 14 flights. Alongside the increase in frequency, the airline is introducing its newly upgraded A320 to replace the current mixed fleet of A321 and A320s, as well as a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The increase in both frequency and aircraft capacity will bring the total number of Business Class seats up to 476 and Economy Class seats to 4,928 per week, an increase of 188 and 1,328 seats respectively from the current number servicing the route. Qatar Airways’ 787s are configured with 254 seats, while the upgraded A320 offers Business Class seating which reclines into a 180-degree true lie-flat bed.
“We established our Moscow route just over ten years ago, and since then we have watched it grow steadily. I’m very pleased that we are able to meet our customers demand by increasing not only the frequency of flights per week, but also introducing one of the most state-of-the-art aircraft in the world to the route,” said Al Baker.
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