Al Baker: High demand for Qatar Airways Depends on Reliability

H E Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways Group, claims that the airline's growing popularity is a result of its dedication to travelers, particularly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Al Baker claimed that the airline's customer-friendly procedures have drawn more passengers, including many first-timers, in an interview with CNBC's Phil LeBeau onboard the QA's Boeing 777 300ER at the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA).

Al Baker added in the interview that was published on the airline's Twitter account, "During the epidemic, Qatar Airways proved that it was a trustworthy airline; we never stopped."

"We didn't abandon millions of travelers. From March to June, when COVID-19 was at its busiest, we carried 3.3 million passengers, the majority of whom were new to Qatar Airways. As a result, this clearly demonstrated to them our brand's dedication to helping passengers in need. "We also donated over $1.5 billion to passengers who couldn't travel," he continued.

Qatar Airways was named the top international airline in 2020 by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the period between April and July. The airline continued to fly to important cities like Amsterdam, Dallas-Fort Worth, London, Montréal, So Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo. In April, the airline accounted for 17.8% of all international passenger traffic worldwide.

"We also provided free itinerary changes for passengers that included an additional 500 nautical miles. Therefore, this inspired people's confidence, and as a result, our airline only experienced its highest level of profitability in 2021, Al Baker continued.

Additionally, the airline operated over 470 charter flights and additional sector flights, giving over 150,000 sailors who had been stranded abroad a lifeline. Antananarivo, Bogotá, Bridgetown, Havana, Juba, Laâyoune, Lomé, Maun, Ougadougou, Port-of-Spain, and Port Moresby are just a few of the places that Qatar Airways has flown to as part of its repatriation efforts.

The AirlineRatings' Airline of the Year award was recently won by Qatar Airways. Additionally, it received recognition for "Best Business Class" and "Best Airline in the Middle East." The honor marked the airline's second consecutive victory and its fourth consecutive year winning the "Best Business Class" title.

Qatar Airways considers purchasing additional Boeing 777X planes

Akbar al-Baker, the chief executive officer of Qatar Airways, answered, "Absolutely, we will even give them a bigger order," when asked if Qatar intended to remain with the 777X.

The Doha-based carrier is a launch customer for both the passenger and freighter variants of Boeing's new 777 family, which is the company's largest aircraft and the successor to the hump-backed 747 Jumbo, whose production is set to stop in a few months.

Al-Baker did not mention the version or potential transaction amount he is considering. In light of the most recent delay, which moves the jet's commercial debut to 2025 — almost five years behind schedule — he expressed his interest in the 777X to reporters at the Farnborough International Airshow.

Qatar signed on as the first client for a freighter version at a White House ceremony in January and has placed 74 orders for the twin-engine jet, which is making its Farnborough debut.

Al-Baker also stated that a contract for 25 of Boeing's 737 Max airplanes, which were launched during the same state visit, had expired.