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Forbes Lifestyle Travel Qatar Airways Boosts UK Travel With Additional Routes Michele Robson Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about travel specialising in airlines and luxury travel for less Following Jul 14, 2023, 09:59am EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Qatar Airways restarted flights from Birmingham, UK on July 6, 2023 after a period of three years. The flights will operate on a daily basis, with a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. The service will connect Birmingham Airport with Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, and then onward to 160 destinations. The service was suspended during COVID but has finally resumed. July 6, 2023. QR33 from Doha touches down at Birmingham Airport UK. Qatar Airways Dignitaries, including Gary Kershaw, UK & Ireland Country Manager, Qatar Airways; Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor; and Nick Barton, Chief Executive, Birmingham Airport, welcomed flight QR33 from Doha on its arrival at Birmingham. A special menu of British classics was served to passengers onboard the flight including Beef Wellington, traditional British Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding, Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Tikka Masala and Eton mess. To help mark Qatar Airways’ global partnership with Formula 1, former racing driver David Coulthard, was also at the airport to support Qatar Airways’ return to Birmingham. David said, "It’s exciting to see Qatar Airways – Formula 1’s new Global Airline Partner – back at Birmingham, with the West Midlands region boasting a rich automotive history and on the doorstep of Britain’s F1 heartland. David Coulthard, former F1 driver, celebrates the return of Qatar Airways to Birmingham. Qatar Airways “Nearby F1 team bases include Alpine, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Red Bull and Williams, meanwhile Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull base is next door to Birmingham Airport." While the Boeing 787-8 does not have the airline's newest Premium Suite, the business class seats are comfortable all aisle access flatbeds in a 1-2-1 configuration. The airline has also upgraded its lounge offering with the inclusion of the Clubrooms at Birmingham, compared to the No. 1 lounge from the same brand that it previously gave passengers access to. MORE FOR YOU ‘A Big Deal’—Crypto Braced For A $30 Trillion Earthquake After Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB, XRP, Cardano, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Solana, Tron And Polygon Price Boom iOS 16 5 1 c Apple Hurriedly Releases Urgent iPhone Security Update Again GOP Rep. Says ‘Colored People’ On House Floor During NDAA Amendment Debate—Is Immediately Admonished Qatar Airways B787-8 business class cabin Qatar Airways The resumption of flights from Birmingham is part of Qatar Airways' ongoing global network expansion. The airline has already resumed flights to a number of other destinations, including London Heathrow, Manchester, and Edinburgh. By the end of 2023, Qatar Airways plans to have resumed flights to 10 destinations and added four more routes across two continents. "We are delighted to be restarting flights from Birmingham," said Gary Kershaw, UK & Ireland Country Manager for Qatar Airways. "This is an important market for us, and we are committed to providing our customers with the best possible service." “Birmingham is one of the most exciting, vibrant and historic cities in the UK and we have long held a special affection for the people of this city and the Midlands region. We are proud to have played a part in bringing them to visit family and friends or conduct business abroad, as well as attend weddings and reunions all over the world. “As our fifth UK gateway, our return to Birmingham signals Qatar Airways’ strong commitment to the UK and reaffirms the positive relationship between the UK and Qatar.” Qatar Airways is also said to be planning to restore its Cardiff flights by the end of 2023. In a recent meeting Qatar Airways Group chief executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, confirmed to local MP Alun Cairns that he hopes that flights will return to Cardiff by the end of 2023. However, beyond Cardiff, the airline is not planning any other new UK destinations. Qatar wants to focus on increasing the frequency of its UK flights and plans to go double daily from Birmingham eventually. The main issue it has, like most airlines post-Covid, is a lack of aircraft. While the issues with Airbus and the potential paint issues on Qatar's A350s have been resolved, there is still a backlog of new aircraft deliveries. The Boeing 777X is one for which Qatar will be waiting much longer than anticipated. Originally due to debut in 2023, it now looks like the first delivery will not be until at least 2025. FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND - JULY 19: The Boeing 777X flies during the Farnborough International Airshow ...
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