How does your most recent fleet expansion, worth more than USD18 billion, bring new improvements to Qatar Airways' operations?

Qatar Airways prides itself on having one of the most modern fleets of aircraft in the sky. Our recent order from Boeing was history in the making and representative of the trust we place within Boeing to deliver aircraft for our growing fleet, in line with meeting the needs of our ambitious network expansion plans around the world. Our 195-strong fleet of aircraft is constantly growing as we strive to expand to even more business and leisure destinations. We currently receive a new aircraft every 10-12 days; without this robust program of aircraft deliveries we could not serve the new routes that are in our plans for 2017/18 or meet the needs of our passengers who are flying further and more often than ever before. Just in the last year, we have received our 30th Boeing 787 Dreamliner, our 7th Airbus A380, and our 14th Airbus A350. During 2017/18, our growing number of more than 150 global destinations is scheduled to increase by a further 14 routes. Our inaugural flight to Auckland in February this year was significant as it represented a record-breaking event as the world's longest commercial flight, taking 17 hours and 30 minutes and covering a distance of 14,535km from our hub in Doha. This was a truly magnificent start to the year, one that also sees us celebrate our 20th anniversary. All in all, our network expansion and fleet development naturally work in tandem; they are interdependent and only with these two elements complementing one another can Qatar Airways continue to reach for its goal of becoming the best airline in the world.
What was the driving force behind the decision to increase your stake in British Airways owner IAG to 20%, and what new benefits will this arrangement bring to your company?

Qatar Airways further increased its stake in IAG from 15.67 to 20% in July 2016 due to the many synergies that exist between the airline and IAG and its fellow member oneworld airlines. This was a direct result of the future potential we believe exists in the group and our increased shareholding reflects the strength of commercial and strategic ties between the companies. Qatar Airways supports the ongoing strategy of IAG and is highly supportive of the group's management team. In terms of the benefits that this relationship will bring to Qatar Airways and its passengers, the synergies that already exist between ourselves and the group's other oneworld member airlines, will only continue to grow and expand. For example, only recently in October 2016, Qatar Airways and British Airways expanded their existing code share agreement with a joint business agreement to include all non-stop flights operating between the UK and Doha, allowing both oneworld carriers to provide passengers with better links between the UK, Asia, Middle East, and Africa.
What are some new services and amenities that work to differentiate Qatar Airways from rival airlines around the Gulf?

Qatar Airways strives to put the passenger first at every stage of their journey, whether on the ground or in the air on board one of our modern aircraft. It is this simple factor that truly separates us apart from our competition and for why we are known as one of the world's best airlines. A significant step change for us on this journey happened in 2014 when we moved our operations to the newly created, state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport (HIA). With regards to our aircraft, we constantly invest in the latest generation technology for which we have become known the world over. Qatar Airways welcomed the Airbus A380 into our fleet of 195 aircraft in recent years, while we also welcomed the Airbus A350 as Global Launch Customer in 2014. One of our most recent product revelations is the Qatar Airways Qsuite, launched just recently at the ITB exhibition in Berlin. Qsuite pushes the boundaries in our continued journey to provide the ultimate premium travel experience. Operating on flights from summer 2017, the newly patented Qsuite will feature the world's first double bed in business class, while privacy panels that stow away will provide passengers in adjoining seats with their own private cabin. Central and adjustable TV monitors also allow the center four seats of the cabin to be transformed into a private suite, providing friends, colleagues or families travelling together the opportunity to socialize, dine, or work.
How does Qatar Airways work with the Qatar Tourism Authority to raise the country's profile to prospective travelers abroad?

Qatar Airways takes its role in helping to raise Qatar's profile to prospective travelers seriously, and in recent years we have seen Qatar establish itself as a true world-class destination for sport, entertainment, and the arts, highlighting Doha as a stopover destination to its millions of passengers. A key foundation of this progress has been a close working relationship with the Qatar Tourism Authority, and most notably in recent months Qatar Airways led an initiative to introduce a new free transit visa scheme to our passengers, providing unprecedented access for travelers to Qatar and its many cultural highlights, further supporting the country's soaring tourism industry. Qatar Airways is also a key supporter and sponsor of a number of world-class sporting events based in Qatar, attracting visitors from around the world. Qatar Airways recently hosted the first ever Qatar Airways Cup, where we brought our sponsored teams of FC Barcelona and Al-Ahli Football Club to Doha for the Match of Champions. We also sponsor other world-class events in tennis, cycling, and squash, ensuring that Qatar continues to build its reputation as a center for world sporting events.
As 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of Qatar Airways as the national carrier, what is the company's outlook for the next 12 months?

The success behind Qatar Airways lies with the fact that we never rest on our achievements; we focus on how we can better them each and every time for business and leisure passengers around the world. Without a doubt, 2017 marks yet another exciting year for Qatar Airways as an example of just this. In addition to being voted the World's Best Business Class by Skytrax, Qatar Airways has further enhanced the business traveler experience for premium passengers around the world with the recently revealed Qatar Airways Qsuite. Looking to our growing network, Qatar Airways has already announced 14 new destinations for 2017-18; adding Canberra, Dublin, Las Vegas, Rio de Janeiro, and Santiago de Chile, to name a few. It is with operational excellence, vision and resilience that we look to the next 12 months and further ahead, championing the growth of Qatar Airways at all opportunities.