Qatar Airways Starts Service to Adelaide

Doha, May 03 (QNA) - Qatar Airways has added Adelaide as its fourth destination in Australia where the carrier has been flying to Melbourne since 2009, to Perth since 2012 and to Sydney since March this year. "We are proud to be the first airline to fly the Airbus A350, for which we were the global launch customer, to Australia," Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, who was on board the inaugural flight, said. "Adelaide is an important addition to our route map giving Qatar Airways its fourth gateway into Australia, and we are pleased to offer the people of South Australia the most modern aircraft in the industry to connect them with 38 countries in Europe, 21 destinations in Africa and 27 destinations in the Middle East." The new route is expected to generate an estimated 228 jobs across the state and contribute more than AU$41 million to the local visitor economy. The inaugural flight was greeted by a delegation of VIPs including South Australia's Minister for Tourism, Leon Bignell; Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Mark Young; the Governor of South Australia, Hieu Van Le AO; and Chief Executive Officer of South Australian Tourism Commission, Rodney Harrex. Qatar Airways is the first carrier to fly the new-generation Airbus A350 to Australia, connecting Australian passengers to more than 150 destinations on its route map on board one of the youngest and most modern aircraft in the skies. (QNA)