
Qatar Airways has announced plans to increase its Doha-Melbourne service to twice daily, citing a “strategic agreement between the Victorian Government and the carrier.”
The new service will begin on October 1, 2022, and will feature an onward leg to Canberra, marking Qatar Airways’ return to the Australian capital.
Prior to the suspension of the route due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the airline served Canberra via Sydney but will soon offer a daily B777-300ER service via Melbourne.
Qatar Airways’ Australia network will now include 40 weekly flights between Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
“Melbourne is the original home for Qatar Airways in Australia, and we are thrilled to improve our operations there as a tribute to both robust demand and our deep commitment to Australia,” said Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker.
“We look forwards to welcoming more customers to enjoy our five-star hospitality as we fly from Melbourne to numerous locations across the world via our Doha hub in Qatar.”
The addition of a daily flight to Melbourne ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 would enable more football fans to travel to their respective matches.”
Qatar Airways recently announced a new relationship with Virgin Australia, which includes codeshare agreements on 35 of Virgin Australia domestic network.