Qatar Airways targets Chicago on its flightplan

Qatar Airways announced an expansion of its US route network with the introduction of daily passenger flights to Chicago from April 10 next year.

The non-stop service from Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, will be the carrier’s fourth USA gateway, following daily operations to New York (JFK), Washington (IAD) and Houston (IAH).

The carrier, which already operates twice-weekly cargo flights to Chicago O’Hare, will use its flagship long-haul Boeing 777-300 Extended Range passenger aircraft on the Doha – Chicago route with an approximate flying time of 15 hours.

The announcement follows this summer’s fifth anniversary launch celebrations of both the New York and Washington, DC, services for the Doha-based carrier.

Qatar Airways’ expansion to Chicago O’Hare, the world’s second busiest airport handling 70 million passengers a year, has long been earmarked by the airline as a key traffic route that would appeal to travellers from across its passenger network.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “As Qatar Airways continues its aggressive expansion, we are pleased to finally offer another gateway in the United States, this time to the ‘The Windy City’ of Chicago, five years after we began operations to North America.

“Chicago is a key route for business and leisure travellers alike, connecting them from destinations across India, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific with a one-stop service via Doha to the Midwest.”

Chicago has a population of nearly three million people, attracting millions of tourists and business travellers every year.

For tourists visiting Chicago, attractions include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Architectural River Cruise and the iconic Willis Tower – the tallest building in North America.

Chicago is also home to a huge sports industry with well known teams – Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox – covering a variety of different sports attracting travelling fans from around the world.

Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 aircraft operating on the Chicago route will feature 335 seats in a two-class configuration of 42 Business Class seats and 293 in Economy.

Business Class, configured in a spacious 2–2–2 layout, features seats that convert into fully-flat horizontal beds, 17 inch individual TV monitors and an award-winning dining experience.

Since the beginning of the year, Qatar Airways has launched flights to Baku (Azerbaijan), Tbilisi (Georgia), Kigali (Rwanda), Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia) and Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) with many more destinations planned during 2012.

Over the next few months, Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Yangon, Myanmar (October 3); Maputo, Mozambique (October 31); and a date yet-to-be-announced to the Serbian capital Belgrade.

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