Marwan Koleilat, Qatar Airways Senior Vice-President of Asia Pacific, receiving a welcome garland from Nob Kongpun, Vice-Governor of Krabi.
Doha: Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight to Krabi in Thailand arrived at its international airport yesterday.
The Airbus A330-200 was greeted by a water salute to usher in the new four times weekly service to southern Thailand’s west coast.
On board the inaugural flight was Qatar Airways Senior Vice- President of Asia Pacific, Marwan Koleilat and Thailand’s Ambassador to Qatar Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum.
With the launch of this new service, Qatar Airways has become the first Middle Eastern airline to provide scheduled services to Krabi, providing fast and convenient access to one of the world’s most popular tourism regions. Travellers can now enjoy year-round services to the islands of Phi Phi National Park, while also enjoying other cultural experiences in the southern Thai province famous for stunning land and seascapes, world-class diving, national parks and eco-tours.
Koleilat said: “I am delighted to be able to inaugurate the first service to Krabi, providing travellers from key markets with direct access to Krabi and the region’s tourism hotspots — undeniably some of the most popular and sought after travel destinations in the world. Thailand remains an important market for Qatar Airways as we continue to explore key secondary destinations to better serve the global traveller. Guests can now enjoy Qatar Airways’ award-winning service on board one of the youngest fleets in the industry when we fly together to Krabi, Thailand.
“Additionally, the new service to Krabi opens up a host of convenient global destinations for the people of Krabi and its region and I’d like to thank the Thai people for their continued support over the last 20 years.”
The southern Thai region of Krabi is a province of stunning natural beauty, with towering limestone formations hugging a myriad of tropical beaches. The area is home to the famous Tiger Cave Temple, Railay Beach, Ko Poda, Khao Phanom Bencha National Park and Ko Lanta Yai; combining to attract a considerable number of sun-seeking tourists every year.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor, Yuthasak Supasorn, said: “We wish to express our warmest welcome to Qatar Airways and its new route between Krabi and Doha. Thanks to the new route launch, Thailand now has even better connections to the world. Krabi is one of Thailand’s most iconic regions. Situated on the Andaman Sea on the South-Western coast it is rich with pearly beaches, translucent waters, coral reefs, waterfalls and natural caves. Last year, Thailand received more than 39,000 tourists from Qatar and with this new route, we expect more tourist arrivals in the years ahead.”
Krabi becomes the third strategic destination in Thailand that Qatar Airways serves. Following the inaugural service to Bangkok in 1996, Qatar Airways launched services to Phuket in 2010 and will begin services to Chiang Mai in 2017.
New service to Dublin begins on June 12
Qatar Airways has announced it will launch daily non-stop flights between Doha and Dublin, Ireland, on June 12 next year.
Situated on Ireland’s east coast, Dublin features many cultural and historic highlights and has long attracted visitors from all over the world.
Visitors to the city are able to see attractions such as St Patrick's Cathedral and Dublin Castle, while also being in easy reach of the city’s beaches and the famous Wicklow Mountains. Dublin also serves as the gateway to all of Ireland with its lush countryside and many historic attractions.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways has seen unprecedented growth in recent times and continues to launch new destinations on our global route map, enhancing connectivity for our passengers from around the world. The launch of flights to Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is an exciting addition to our network and I am confident that business and leisure passengers will benefit from our Boeing 787 Dreamliner service and smooth onward connections through our home and hub, Hamad International Airport.”
Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison said he was delighted that Qatar Airways will be launching its Dublin to Doha service next year. “We look forward to welcoming the new daily Doha service from June and to working closely with Qatar Airways to promote the route. This service will bring extra choice and convenience for passengers and will also add Dublin and Ireland to Qatar’s growing global network.”
Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787s provide a superior experience with spacious cabins and custom-made seats in both Business and Economy Class. The aircraft features 254 custom-made seats across its Business and Economy Class cabins with specially designed interiors. Business Class is configured in a 1–2–1 layout with 22 seats, while Economy has 232 seats in a 3–3–3 layout. All seats feature individual television screens and on board WiFi, with Business Class seats reclining into a fully flat bed.
Passengers flying from Dublin will enjoy a quick and convenient transfer at Hamad International Airport as they travel onwards to the more than 150 destinations on Qatar Airways' global network.
