The national carrier of the State of Qatar unveils B777 hand-painted in tournament livery
21 November will mark two years to go until FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM
DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways, Official Partner and the Official Airline of FIFA, today unveiled a specially-branded Boeing 777 aircraft painted in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM livery, to mark two years to go until the tournament kicks off on 21 November 2022.
The bespoke aircraft, which features distinctive FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM branding was hand-painted to commemorate the airline’s partnership with FIFA. More aircraft in the Qatar Airways fleet will feature the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM livery and will visit several destinations in the network.
The Boeing 777-300ER will enter service on 21 November operating flights QR095 and QR096 between Doha and Zurich. The inaugural route of the bespoke aircraft further reiterates the airline’s commitment to the FIFA partnership by flying to the home of FIFA in Switzerland on this significant date.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are tremendously excited to celebrate our partnership with FIFA and Qatar’s status as host of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM by introducing this unique aircraft to our fleet. As Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA, we can feel the excitement building with two years to go until we will welcome the world to our beautiful country.
“Qatar’s readiness to host FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM is evident all around us. At Qatar Airways, our network recently expanded to 100 destinations, and will further grow to more than 125 destinations by March 2021, with an increasing frequency enabling our passengers to travel when they want across the globe, safely and reliably. At Hamad International Airport, Official Airport Partner for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, preparations for the expected traffic growth are well underway. The airport expansion project will increase capacity to more than 58 million passengers annually by 2022.”
Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, added: “Qatar Airways is proud to continue its journey supporting FIFA tournaments and with FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM now just two years away, we are especially excited to reveal this beautiful aircraft.”
Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Secretary General and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ LLC Chairman, His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, added: “As we approach the two years until kick-off milestone on 21 November, it’s great to see other key tournament delivery partners such as Qatar Airways achieve their own important Qatar 2022 objectives. Seeing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM brand covering an entire aircraft is an exciting moment for everyone involved in delivering this historic tournament and an important promotional step on our road to 2022. We hope this reveal helps excite fans at the prospect of flying here on one of these aircraft in just two years’ time for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab World and we look forward to welcoming everyone that arrives in Qatar.”
FIFA Director of Marketing, Jean-François Pathy, said: “Our Official Partner Qatar Airways launching this striking, iconic aircraft featuring the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ livery is an important milestone. We are looking forward to welcoming fans from around the globe to experience this unique FIFA World Cup™ and discover Qatar in two years’ time.”
Qatar Airways, in partnership with Qatar Airways Holidays, will soon launch bespoke travel packages to visit Qatar for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM.
Further information can be found at: www.qatarairwaysholidays.com/qa-en/offers/fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022/
Notes to Editors:
About Qatar Airways:
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.
Hamad International Airport (HIA), the airline’s home and hub, was recently ranked “Third Best Airport in the World”, among 550 airports worldwide, by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020. Rising from fourth position in 2019 to third in 2020, HIA has been steadily rising in the ‘World's Best Airports’ rankings since the start of its operations in 2014. In addition, HIA was voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row.
Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.
Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.
Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.
Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message - Going Places Together.
Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft to an extensive global network. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 21 Boeing 777 freighters and four Airbus A330 freighters.
Qatar Executive is the private jet charter division of Qatar Airways Group. Luxury jet services are available for worldwide charter on board the operator’s wholly-owned business jet fleet. Qatar Executive is the launch customer for Gulfstream’s G700, the world’s first commercial service operator of the Gulfstream G500 and largest commercial operator of the G650ER worldwide. Qatar Executive's service portfolio also includes aircraft management, maintenance and Fixed Based Operator services.
For further information, please contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 4022 2200