MANILA, Philippines — Five-star carrier Qatar Airways has expanded its reach in the Philippines with the launch of flights from Davao.
Davao is now the third destination in the Philippines on Qatar’s rapidly-expanding global network.
“Qatar Airways is very proud to extend its reach into the Philippines by launching our third gateway into this beautiful country,” Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said.
The first Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Davao touched down yesterday at the Davao International Airport.
“The inclusion of Davao into our global network further demonstrates our commitment to the Far East region, a highly important market for Qatar Airways. With 50 weekly passenger flights to and from the Philippines, we take great pride in our role of enabling trade and connecting international businesses,” Al Baker said.
The airline will operate its Davao service once a week with a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, featuring 22 seats in business class and 232 seats in economy class.
Davao City, located on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, is a coastal commercial center with numerous beaches and resorts.
It is the largest city outside of Manila and the fourth largest in the country in terms of population, with over 1.4 million residents.
“Davao International Airport is the main airport serving Davao City and Davao Region in the Philippines. It is the busiest airport on the island of Mindanao and one of the busiest in the Philippines. We look forward to welcoming all passengers on Qatar’s weekly return flights,” Davao International Airport manager Rex Obcena said.
The Philippines is seen as an important air freight market for Qatar, with the carrier’s cargo arm offering a weekly capacity of 350 tons each way on the Doha-Manila-Doha route and 70 tons on the Doha-Clark-Doha route.
With the introduction of flights from Doha to Davao, exporters in Davao will be offered direct connection to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas via Doha.
Qatar currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft and flies to more than 160 destinations worldwide.
In addition to its service to Davao, Qatar recently launched an array of new destinations, including Mombasa in Kenya, Izmir in Turkey, and Malta.
The airline plans to add a number of new destinations to its extensive route network in the second half, including Lisbon in Portugal, Mogadishu in Somalia, and Langkawi in Malaysia.
In 2017, the Philippines and Qatar agreed to increase the number of flights between Manila and Doha per week.