Qatar Airways flights boost as Qassim joins network

The Doha-Qassim route becomes the carrier’s fifth gateway to the Kingdom, joining routes of Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam. With Qassim, the number of flights to Saudi Arabia has risen from 61 to 65 each week.
The airline will operate four flights a week to Qassim, providing inbound travelers with yet another destination to choose from, while connecting outbound travelers from Qassim to a huge network of over 120 cities to fly to with Qatar Airways via its Doha hub.
The addition of Qassim takes the airline’s expanding global network to 123 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.
The Prince Naif Regional Airport in Qassim welcomed the inaugural flight with a water salute as the Airbus A320 touched down.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker said: “Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years and we at Qatar Airways are delighted to be part of this growth by launching additional capacity into this vibrant market.”
Al-Baker added: “With increased government investment in the private sector and major infrastructure developments under way, we are very excited about our expansion here with the launch of our first route of 2013 to the city of Qassim.”
The maiden flight carried an official delegation from Doha, led by Fathi Al-Shehab, Qatar Airways senior vice-president for GCC, Levant, Iran and Indian Subcontinent.
Fathi Al-Shehab said: “The introduction of our fifth destination within the Kingdom is proof of the ongoing commitment by Qatar Airways to offer Saudi travelers across this great nation an unrivalled five-star service. Last year, we more than doubled our frequency to Saudi Arabia, an achievement we are extremely proud of.”
Located at the heart of the Kingdom, Qassim is a city known for its dates and agricultural industry.