THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Qatar Airways is seeking more opportunities in India and looks forward to opening up of further routes in the country, chief executive officer Akbar Al-Baker has said.

“India is by far the largest single market for Qatar Airways with a network of some nine cities which represents more than 10 percent of our global network of 83 international routes. We look forward to opening up further routes to give the traveling public more choices,” he told reporters after the new flight to Calicut International Airport was launched recently. Calicut is the airline’s second route launch this year, following the launch of nonstop flights between Doha and the southern Chinese industrial city of Guangzhou in March. On Nov. 10, Qatar Airways will begin nonstop scheduled flights to Houston.

Flight QR284 landed at the Calicut airport last week after the overnight journey from the Qatari capital. The airline has announced daily nonstop flights to the airport located 26km off Kozhikode city, an embarkation point for many expatriates. Local political, business and airport officials received the passengers arriving on the maiden flight, an Airbus A320, which was full to capacity. The official delegation received a traditional welcome at the airport.

The new route takes Qatar Airways’ capacity to India up to 58 flights a week spread across nine destinations, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Cochin and Nagpur.

“Today is an example of the tremendous energy that has gone into making our latest route a reality. Following on the success of our three route launches to India last year, our latest addition demonstrates our commitment to the people of India and to the people of Kerala,” Al Baker said.

“I would like to applaud the Indian government and its determined efforts to open up air access for Qatar Airways to more cities across India. I am delighted we are able to spread our award-winning Five Star service to yet another city on the global map,” he said in a statement here.

Kozhikode (formerly Calicut) is Kerala’s third largest city and home to serene beaches, historic sites, lush green scenery and world-renowned Ayurvedic health treatments — a haven for holidaymakers seeking adventure and relaxation, the statement said.

“The new route will have tremendous appeal for expatriate Keralites living and working in the Gulf region as well as tourists from across Europe and other parts of the world”.

Qatar Airways carriers a Five-Star ranking for service and excellence awarded by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry research company, which named its cabin crew the best in the Middle East for the fifth consecutive year in 2007 following a survey of more than 15 million passengers.

During 2007, Qatar Airways ordered 80 Airbus A350s, together with 60 Boeing 787s and 32 Boeing 777s and it plans to double its fleet to 110 aircraft by 2013. The airline has ordered five of the twin-deck Airbus A380 “super jumbos” for delivery from 2010.

In 2010, it will move to the New Doha International Airport, when its first phase opens, according to the statement.