Qatar Airways has arranged to lease two Airbus A300s to replace its fleet of Boeing 747s on long-haul services from its base in Doha.
The airline, which underwent a major management and strategic revamp late in 1996 (Flight International 11-17 December 1996, P10), will introduce two ex-Garuda Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered Airbus A300-600Rs on lease from Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services at the end of March. The first aircraft is due for delivery imminently.
Qatar's two Boeing 747s, which are ex-All Nippon Airways, General Electric CF6-powered SR (short-range) models, will be released from the fleet at the end of May. UK-based Aircraft Leasing and Management is remarketing the aircraft.
Qatar will operate the A300s in a 240-seat layout on its services from Doha to London, Bangkok and Manila. The 747SRs are configured in a high density 492-seat layout, and the airline is making the move to smaller capacity aircraft as it seeks to improve competitiveness with more frequent schedules.
"We will transfer our four-times weekly London service from Gatwick to Heathrow when the Airbuses are introduced," says Qatar's UK marketing manager Fraser Teasdale, "and we will move up to a daily service in May."
The airline, which has also decided to refit the cabins of its four Boeing 727-200s on its short-haul network, is about to introduce a new corporate identity. Qatar is also introducing alcoholic drinks to its in-flight service.
Source: Flight International
