DOHA, 19 April 2003 — Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its fourth A330-200 and ninth A320-200 aircraft as it continues to expand a fleet that will serve around 50 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East by the end of the year. “The delivery of the two new Airbus aircraft represents our continuing commitment to offering our passengers a greater choice of destinations, more flights and a premium class service,” its CEO Akbar Al-Baker said. The airline now operates a fleet of 23 aircraft as against a dozen a little more than a year ago. Last year, it carried 1.7 million passengers and is expected to carry around 2.7 million this year. “The new A330 will be used principally for our new nonstop flights to Manila, which we’re now operating five times a week. This means that flight times to the Philippines have been reduced by three hours.
