Gulf carrier Qatar Airways announced a number of new routes at world’s largest travel trade show ITB Berlin Convention this week. The Doha-based airline will be expanding their network by another 14 new destinations across four continents.
Included in this new expanded network will be the world’s longest flight between Doha and Auckland, New Zealand. This new direct flight will take 17.5 hours and is a 9,031-mile journey from Doha to Auckland. Beginning on 3 December, it is also Qatar Airways’ first route to New Zealand and will be a daily service using the Boeing 777.
Currently, the world’s longest flight is operated by Emirates, which launched its 8,823-mile route from Dubai to Auckland earlier this month.
Besides Auckland, Qatar Airways’ growing network is also set to include five new European destinations, six in Africa and two to Asia.
The addition of new routes is in line with the carrier’s plans to be at the forefront of the industry. Qatar Airways has been the global launch customer of the Airbus A350 and the Middle East launch customer of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. On average, the airline receives a new aircraft once every 10 days, and the average age of the fleet is less than four years.
The introduction of the new destinations comes two years after the opening of Qatar Airways’ hub, Hamad International Airport, which is one of the most technologically advanced modern airports in the world, serving more than 28 million passengers annually.
