Al-Baker said on the sidelines of the Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2010) that the economic downturn had opened up numerous opportunities for Qatar Airways.

"When there is an economic crisis there is an opportunity and that's exactly what Qatar Airways is doing. We are trying to use the airline's capability to tap existing potential by enhancing frequencies and capacity," Al-Baker added.

Al-Baker added that Qatar Airways was growing at double digits despite encountering challenging times.

"When you compare March and April we have seen a 27 percent growth, which is by all means tremendous achievement," he said.

Unlike other airlines, he said, Qatar Airways only had one aircraft stuck in Europe during the recent closure of European airspace due to a volcanic cloud.

"In that sense we lost revenues but we saved money as well by not operating on the affected routes," he said.

"Qatar Airways is reinforcing its long-term commitment to growth with continued investment in new aircraft, new routes and improving airport infrastructure ahead of next year's opening of the New Doha International Airport. In addition we will see seven new routes during 2010.

"We have so far launched four new routes from its Doha hub this year i.e. Bengaluru (Bangalore), Copenhagen, Ankara and Tokyo.

"Supported by the arrival of more than one new aircraft a month, including the airline's first Boeing 777 freighter due to be delivered in a week's time, and the opening of a brand new airline-owned airport hotel and new arrivals terminal in Doha, Qatar Airways' expansion is forging ahead with vigor."

Beginning June 7, daily flights to Barcelona will be added to the airline's network, supporting existing scheduled services to the capital Madrid and reinforcing Qatar Airways' position as the only Gulf carrier currently flying to Spain.

Less than three weeks later, starting June 24, Qatar Airways launches daily flights to South America's two largest cities - Sao Paulo in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina - operated with the carrier's flagship Boeing 777 wide body aircraft.

The two South American routes will help strengthen trade and economic ties with the Middle East, and offer a convenient connection home for the huge expatriate Lebanese and Japanese communities living and working on the continent, said Al-Baker.

"These are exciting times for Qatar Airways. Apart from new aircraft and new routes, we continue to invest in our airport infrastructure in Doha."

Al-Baker said the New Doha International Airport was scheduled to be ready by the end of 2011, with both runways and main terminal structure already completed. The airport will have a capacity for 24 million passengers in its initial opening phase.