Qatar Airways became one of the few global airlines that did not stop their flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions created with the help of the latest technology and fuel-saving mixed fleet, it has succeeded in continuing its flights by choosing the right type of aircraft for each market despite the general demand has decreased. Due to the negative impact of COVID-19 on travel demand, Qatar Airways has decided not to fly the Airbus A380 fleet, which is not commercially and environmentally suitable for existing market conditions.
Qatar Airways constantly monitors the market in terms of passenger and cargo demand, determines the most suitable aircraft type for each flight point and conducts its flights accordingly. In order to meet the passenger and cargo demands in a balanced manner, the airline uses all of its Airbus 350 and Boeing 787 fleets, thus supporting global trade and delivering essential medical and relief materials to the required locations by providing a strong air cargo capacity as well as safely transporting passengers to their homes.
Qatar Airways has the largest A350 fleet in the world, but it is the first airline to use A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft types. The A2.5, which has an average age of 49 in its fleet and offers the highest seat capacity in the current aviation market, and constitutes 350 parts of the total fleet, plays an important role in rebuilding the airline's flight network. 30 Boeing 787 aircraft in the Qatar Airways fleet have the most suitable capacity for European lines as the aviation market begins to improve. During this period when the world is preparing for the exit from the COVID-19 crisis, Qatar Airways' A350 fleet shows that it is the most correct choice for America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, the most strategically important long distance lines.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker: “Qatar Airways strongly leads the aviation industry in terms of the sustainability of its operations. We take our responsibility for environmental protection seriously and sustainability is at the forefront of business planning for our entire group. That's why we have one of the youngest fleets in the world, whose average age is less than five. Thanks to the investments we made in our fleet based on strategy and diversity, the continuity of our operations enabled us not to be dependent on a certain type of aircraft. This has made us one of the few global airlines in the world that can continue their flights non-stop during the crisis, and the largest airline in the world with more than two million passengers we carry. Our mixed aircraft fleet allowed us to continue our operations during the crisis and to transport our passengers safely to their homes.
“In this period when we are rebuilding our flight network, our passengers can trust us that we have implemented a suitable flight schedule that will take them to where they want to go, and that we are using the right type of aircraft that offers reasonable capacity on each flight line. As a result, we will not use our A380 fleet until passenger demand returns to appropriate levels. Based on our careful studies on environmental impacts, we decided that flying such a large aircraft with low occupancy rates does not comply with our environmental responsibilities and is not commercially meaningful. Our young fleet of Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft responds to the current global demand much better.
Qatar Airways is the first airline in the Middle East to receive the highest level of approval in IATA's Environmental Assessment Program. However, our headquarters, Hamad International Airport, was the first airport in the region to achieve a 2022-star rating in the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) rating as part of our plan to increase its annual capacity to 53 million passengers by 4.
Qatar Airways, on the one hand, focuses on bringing the people with their main duties to their homes and carrying necessary aid to the regions affected by the crisis, on the other hand, has not forgotten its environmental responsibilities. We did a study comparing A380 and A350 aircraft types from Doha, London, Guangzhou, Frankfurt, Paris, Melbourne, Sydney, Tokyo and New York lines. We concluded that during a typical one-way flight time, the A350 saves a minimum of 380 tons of carbon dioxide compared to the A16. In the analysis, we have seen that in each line, the A380 emits 350% more carbon dioxide emissions than the A80 during the flight time. The A380 saved 95% more carbodioxide in the Melbourne, New York and Toronto lines, while the A350 saved about 20 tons of carbon dioxide. Qatar Airways will keep the A380 fleet on the ground until the passenger demand reaches the appropriate levels and will continue its operations only with commercially profitable and environmentally friendly aircraft.
Qatar Airways' emphasis on sustainability has led Hamad International Airport to receive the 'World's Best Third Airport' and 'The Best Airport in the Middle East' for six consecutive years. By 2022, we plan to increase our annual capacity to more than 53 million passengers, in this direction, we will reposition Hamad International Airport as one of the region's most preferred airports for our passengers. In the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), where the terminal building, green buildings and infrastructures are rated, we will be the first airport in the Middle East and Africa to achieve 4-star success. Our terminal will also be a LEED Silver certified building with creative energy efficiency criteria. ” he spoke.
As of July 1, Qatar Airways restarted flying to 11 destinations, including Bali, Beirut, Belgrade, Berlin, Boston, Edinburgh, Larnaca, Los Angeles, Prague, Washington and Zagreb. This has been the largest number of lines opened in a single day since Qatar Airways began rebuilding its flight network. By the end of July, the airline will increase its flight network to over 450 a week, reaching more than 70 destinations worldwide.
Hibya News Agency
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