History of Qatar Airways in Timeline

Qatar Airways is the flag carrier of Qatar, headquartered in Doha. It operates a hub-and-spoke network from Hamad International Airport, serving over 170 international destinations across five continents with a fleet of over 200 aircraft. As a member of the Oneworld alliance since 2013, it employs over 43,000 people. Their slogan since 2015 is "Going Places Together."

1 September 2023: Re-introduction of Doha to Auckland route

On 1 September 2023, Qatar Airways reintroduced the Doha to Auckland route with a frequency of 7 times per week using its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, recognized as the third-longest non-stop direct flight in the world.

November 1996: Akbar Al Baker Appointed CEO

In November 1996, Akbar Al Baker was appointed as the CEO of Qatar Airways, a position he held until November 2023.

2006: Branding unveiled

In 2006, Qatar Airways unveiled its current branding, which features an oryx as its logo and a burgundy-colored "Qatar" on a light grey background on the fuselage, with Arabic titles and a burgundy oryx on the tailfin.

June 2009: Cargo flights to Cairo launched

In June 2009, Qatar Airways Cargo launched dedicated cargo flights to Cairo International Airport, complementing the existing passenger services.

2009: CEO Akbar Al Baker states reasons for Airbus A340-600 retirement

In 2009, CEO Akbar Al Baker stated the the reason for Qatar Airways retiring the Airbus A340-600 was to lower the age of the fleet as well as its ineffectiveness compared to the Boeing 777.

August 18, 2010: Launch of US-dedicated cargo service

On August 18, 2010, Qatar Airways launched its first US-dedicated cargo service from Doha to Chicago–O'Hare, with a stop-over in Amsterdam, Netherlands, using Boeing 777 freighter aircraft.

2012: Expansion of Qatar Airways network

In 2012, Qatar Airways added fourteen new destinations to its network, including Addis Ababa, Baghdad, Belgrade, Erbil, Gassim, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Maputo, Mombasa, Perth, Saint Petersburg, Warsaw, Yangon, and Zagreb.

March 13, 2013: Delivery of first A330F

On March 13, 2013, Qatar Airways Cargo's first of three A330F was delivered, provided on lease from BOC Aviation, replacing A300-600F.

July 2013: Government control

Since July 2013, the Qatari government has fully controlled Qatar Airways after buying out a 50% stake from a former foreign minister and other shareholders.

January 17, 2014: Agreement with Qatar Airways to operate flights for IAG Cargo announced

On January 17, 2014, the same day British Airways terminated its contract with Global Supply Systems, Qatar Airways announced an agreement to operate flights for IAG Cargo using Boeing 777F aircraft.

May 2014: Fully owned by Qatari government

As of May 2014, Qatar Airways is fully owned by the Qatari government.

May 27, 2014: Transfer to Hamad International Airport

On May 27, 2014, Qatar Airways officially transferred its operations to Hamad International Airport from Doha International Airport.

September 2014: Planned launch of Al Maha Airways

Al Maha Airways was planned to launch in September 2014 to serve the Saudi Arabian market, featuring a similar livery to Qatar Airways but in green instead of burgundy.

December 2014: Qatar Airways served 146 points worldwide

As of December 2014, Qatar Airways served 146 points worldwide, including new flights to Asmara, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tokyo (Haneda), Miami, Edinburgh, Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, and Djibouti.

March 18, 2015: Launch of Twice-Weekly Freighter Service to Los Angeles Announced

On March 18, 2015, Qatar Airways Cargo announced that starting April 4, 2015, it would launch a twice-weekly Boeing 777 Freighter service to Los Angeles, becoming Qatar Airways Cargo's fourth US freighter destination alongside Houston, Chicago, and Atlanta.

April 4, 2015: Launch of Twice-Weekly Freighter Service to Los Angeles

On April 4, 2015, Qatar Airways Cargo launched its twice-weekly Boeing 777 Freighter service to Los Angeles, becoming Qatar Airways Cargo's fourth US freighter destination alongside Houston, Chicago, and Atlanta.

May 2015: Delivery of Airbus A320 aircraft

By May 2015, Al Maha Airways had taken delivery of 4 Airbus A320 aircraft in preparation for its planned launch.

June 2015: Service to Amsterdam

Starting in June 2015, Qatar Airways began serving Amsterdam.

December 2015: Service to Durban

Starting in December 2015, Qatar Airways announced they would begin serving Durban.

2015: Bought stake in International Airlines Group

In 2015, Qatar Airways initially purchased 9.99% of the International Airlines Group.

December 27, 2016: New freighter operations announced

On December 27, 2016, Qatar Airways Cargo announced the launch of freighter operations to four new destinations in the Americas, with Boeing 777 freighters flying twice a week to Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Quito, and Miami starting February 2, 2017.

2016: Launch of non-stop service from Adelaide

In 2016, Qatar Airways introduced a non-stop service from Adelaide to Australia, initially using the Airbus A350 aircraft and later switching to the Boeing 777-300ER.

February 2, 2017: Launch of freighter operations to new destinations in the Americas

On February 2, 2017, Qatar Airways Cargo launched freighter operations to four new destinations in the Americas, with Boeing 777 freighters flying twice a week to Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Quito, and Miami.

February 5, 2017: Longest regularly scheduled flight

On February 5, 2017, Qatar Airways operated the longest regularly scheduled commercial flight between Doha and Auckland.

February 2017: Cancellation of Al Maha Airways project

In February 2017, Qatar Airways announced the cancellation of the Al Maha Airways project, preventing the airline from starting operations due to issues with obtaining its operational license and the Qatar diplomatic crisis.

June 2017: Flight ban due to diplomatic crisis

In June 2017, all Qatar Airways flights were banned from entering Emirati, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egyptian airports due to the diplomatic crisis.

September 1, 2017: Qatar Airways bought 49% of AQA Holding

On September 1, 2017, Qatar Airways acquired a 49% stake in AQA Holding, which is the new shareholder of Meridiana.

November 2018: Flights to Iran Expansion

In November 2018, Qatar Airways announced plans to expand its flight routes to Iran, with landings scheduled in Tehran and Shiraz starting January 2019, and Isfahan in February.

December 2018: CEO threatened to pull out of Oneworld alliance

In December 2018, Akbar Al Baker, the CEO of Qatar Airways, threatened to withdraw the company from the Oneworld alliance in February due to alleged hostile business practices by alliance members Qantas and American Airlines.

January 2019: Flights to Iran Expansion

In January 2019, Qatar Airways expanded its flight routes to Iran, with landings scheduled in Tehran and Shiraz.

April 30, 2019: Retirement of Airbus A340-600

On April 30, 2019, Qatar Airways retired its last Airbus A340-600 from service after approximately 16 years. The final flight was QR835, traveling from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Hamad International Airport.

June 18, 2019: Launched first flight to Davao

On June 18, 2019, Qatar Airways launched its first flight from Doha to Davao, Philippines.

August 2019: Introduced flights to Langkawi

In August 2019, Qatar Airways introduced flights to Langkawi as part of its expansion plans in Southeast Asia, marking its third destination in Malaysia.

December 2019: Purchase of stake in Bugesera International Airport

In December 2019, Qatar Airways acquired a 60% stake in Rwanda's new $1.3 billion Bugesera International Airport.

February 2020: Shareholding in International Airlines Group increased

As of February 2020, Qatar Airways increased its shareholding in the International Airlines Group to 25.1%.

February 2020: Largest shareholder in International Airlines Group (IAG)

As of February 2020, Qatar Airways is the largest shareholder in International Airlines Group (IAG), owning 25.1% of the shares.

February 2020: Stake acquired in RwandAir

In February 2020, Qatar Airways acquired a 49% stake in Rwanda's flag carrier airline, RwandAir, to provide financial support and bypass embargoes.

September 2020: Suspended flights to Birmingham and Cardiff Airports

In September 2020, Qatar Airways suspended flights to Birmingham Airport and Cardiff Airport due to low demand resulting from COVID-19 travel restrictions.

January 2021: Embargo lifted

In January 2021, the embargo was lifted, allowing Qatar Airways to fly to and use the airspace of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain again.

January 25, 2021: Network expansion after airspace dispute settlement

As of January 25, 2021, Qatar Airways' network spanned 120 destinations after the resolution of Qatar's airspace dispute with neighboring Gulf countries.

March 2021: Planned network expansion

By March 2021, Qatar Airways planned to expand its network to reach 130 routes.

March 28, 2021: Flights not restarted to Birmingham and Cardiff Airports

Flights to Birmingham Airport and Cardiff Airport were scheduled to restart on March 28, 2021, however, the flight to Birmingham was only restarted on the July 6, 2023, and the flight to Cardiff never restarted.

July 24, 2021: Resumption of service to Cebu

On July 24, 2021, Qatar Airways resumed service to Cebu after an eight-year absence, making it the third destination in the Philippines served by the airline.

March 2023: Number of Qatar Airways Group employees

As of March 2023, the Qatar Airways Group employed more than 48,000 people, with 32,000 working directly for the airline.

July 6, 2023: Flights restarted to Birmingham Airport

Flights to Birmingham Airport were restarted on July 6, 2023, after being scheduled to restart on March 28, 2021.

July 2023: Australian Government blocked Qatar Airways Expansion Plan

In July 2023, the Australian Government blocked Qatar Airways' expansion plan, which would have doubled flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. The intervention was supported by Qantas, who claimed it would "distort the market."

September 2023: Re-introduction of Doha to Auckland route

On September 1, 2023, Qatar Airways reintroduced the Doha to Auckland route with a frequency of 7 times per week using its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, recognized as the third-longest non-stop direct flight in the world.

October 2023: Collaboration with Starlink

In October 2023, Qatar Airways announced a collaboration with Starlink to provide high-speed in-flight internet.

November 5, 2023: Akbar Al Baker stepped down

On November 5, 2023, Akbar Al Baker stepped down as CEO of Qatar Airways, a position he had held since November 1996.

November 2023: Badr Mohammed Al-Meer New CEO

As of November 2023, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer is the new CEO of Qatar Airways, succeeding Akbar Al Baker.

March 2024: Announcement of Sama 2.0

In March 2024, Qatar Airways announced Sama 2.0, an advanced AI cabin crew designed to personalize passenger experiences during their journey.

January 7, 2025: Resumption of flights to Damascus

On January 7, 2025, following the easing of tensions in Syria, Qatar Airways resumed its schedule of three weekly flights to Damascus after a 13-year absence.

February 2025: Acquisition of Stake in Virgin Australia Holdings

In February 2025, Qatar Airways acquired a 25% stake in Virgin Australia Holdings.

February 2025: Sale of Virgin Australia Holdings approved

In February 2025, the Australian Government approved the sale of 25% of Virgin Australia Holdings, enabling Virgin to start flights from Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne to Doha, operated by Qatar Airways through a wet-lease arrangement.

March 2025: Expansion of services for summer travel surge

In March 2025, Qatar Airways announced that it is expanding its services to meet the anticipated summer travel surge by increasing flights to 11 global destinations. Eight daily flights to London Heathrow, totaling 56 weekly flights, will operate starting October 27. Services to Male in the Maldives will increase from 13 to 28 weekly flights by late December. Additionally, beginning December 16, flights to Miami will rise to twelve weekly, and Tokyo will see eleven weekly flights.