History of Qatar Airways in Timeline
Qatar Airways is the flag carrier of Qatar, headquartered in Doha. It operates a hub-and-spoke network, serving over 170 international destinations across five continents from Hamad International Airport. The airline boasts a fleet of over 200 aircraft and employs more than 43,000 people. Qatar Airways has been a member of the Oneworld alliance since October 2013 and uses the slogan "Going Places Together".
1974: Qatar Becomes Joint-Owner of Gulf Air
In 1974, the State of Qatar became a joint-owner member of Gulf Air.
November 22, 1993: Qatar Airways Established
On November 22, 1993, Qatar Airways was established by the government of Qatar.
January 20, 1994: Qatar Airways Operations Begin
On January 20, 1994, Qatar Airways began its flight operations.
May 1994: First Destination: Amman
In May 1994, Amman became Qatar Airways' first destination.
September 1997: Muscat Route Removed
In September 1997, Muscat was removed from Qatar Airways' route network.
February 1999: Delivery of First A320
In February 1999, Qatar Airways took delivery of the first A320 powered by Aero Engines V2500 on lease from SALE.
April 2000: Fourth A300-600R Joins the Fleet
In April 2000, a fourth A300-600R on lease from AWAS joined the Qatar Airways fleet.
May 2002: Qatar Withdraws from Gulf Air
In May 2002, Qatar became the first among the joint-owner countries to withdraw from Gulf Air.
March 2004: First Profit Ever
In March 2004, The Qatar Airways Group reported its first profit ever for the fiscal year that ended in March 2004, transporting 3.35 million passengers.
July 2004: Zürich Becomes 53rd Destination
In July 2004, Zürich became Qatar Airways' 53rd destination worldwide.
2004: Fleet Entry Scheduled
In June 2003, the first aircraft were scheduled to enter the fleet in 2004, with the A340-600 slated for delivery in 2006.
March 2005: New Service to Osaka Launched
In March 2005, Qatar Airways launched a new service to Osaka.
September 8, 2006: First A340 Delivered
On September 8, 2006, Qatar Airways' first A340 was delivered.
2006: A340-600 Slated for Delivery
In June 2003, the first aircraft were scheduled to enter the fleet in 2004, with the A340-600 slated for delivery in 2006.
November 2008: New York-JFK Service Commenced
In November 2008, Qatar Airways commenced a new scheduled service to New York-JFK, replacing the Newark route.
October 12, 2009: World's First Commercial Passenger Flight Powered by Natural Gas Fuel
On October 12, 2009, Qatar Airways completed the world's first commercial passenger flight powered by a fuel made from natural gas.
April 2010: Tokyo-Narita Service Launch
2011: Launch of Benghazi and Entebbe Services
During 2011, Qatar Airways launched services to Benghazi and Entebbe.
January 2012: Airline's first lounge opens outside Doha
In January 2012, Qatar Airways opened its first lounge outside of Doha at London Heathrow's Terminal 4.
February 1, 2012: Service to Baku and Tbilisi Launched
Service to Baku and Tbilisi, originally planned for 2011, was launched on February 1, 2012, due to operational issues.
October 8, 2012: Qatar Airways Announces Joining Oneworld
On October 8, 2012, Qatar Airways announced it would join Oneworld within the forthcoming 18 months.
September 2013: Services to Ethiopia Begin
In September 2013, Qatar Airways services to Ethiopia began.
October 2013: Qatar Airways Joins Oneworld Alliance
In October 2013, Qatar Airways became a member of the Oneworld alliance.
October 29, 2013: Qatar Airways Joins Oneworld
On October 29, 2013, the joining ceremony took place and Qatar Airways officially joined Oneworld.
2013: Qatar Airways joins Oneworld alliance
In 2013, Qatar Airways joined the Oneworld alliance and was involved in numerous high profile public disputes with fellow members.
2013: Initial A350 XWB delivery
In May 2007, Qatar Airways and Airbus signed a memorandum of understanding for the acquisition of 80 Airbus A350 XWBs, including 20 Airbus A350-800s and 20 aircraft of the –900 and –1000 variant, respectively, with the first aircraft initially slated for delivery in 2013.
August 1, 2014: Delayed Airbus A380 Services to London
On August 1, 2014, the start of A380 services to London were delayed to August 1, 2014.
October 2014: A380 Services to London Commenced
In October 2014, Airbus A380 services to London commenced.
2014: Boeing 777-9X Commitment
In 2014, The Boeing 777-9X commitment was firmed up during the Farnborough Air Show in a deal worth US$18.9 billion.
2014: Report alleges employee mistreatment
In 2014, the Swedish newspaper Expressen published a report, alleging that Qatar Airways employees' lives were heavily "monitored" and "controlled" by the company. Qatar Airways denied the claims.
August 2015: Policy Change for Cabin Crew
In August 2015, Qatar Airways relaxed its policy of sacking cabin crew for getting pregnant or marrying in their first five years of employment.
2015: New Company Slogan
In 2015, Qatar Airways adopted "Going Places Together" as its official company slogan.
2015: Qatar Airways opens Al Safwa First Lounge
In 2015, Qatar Airways inaugurated the Al Safwa First Lounge, exclusively for its first-class passengers.
2015: Qatar Airways threatens to leave Oneworld
In 2015, Qatar Airways threatened to leave the Oneworld alliance, citing its relationship with American Airlines and Qantas.
2015: Hololei allegedly received free flights from 2015 to 2021
Reports indicate Henrik Hololei traveled business class at no cost nine times from 2015 to 2021 from Qatar Airways while negotiating an Open Skies deal.
July 2016: U.S. Department of State Talks with Qatar Government
In July 2016, the U.S. Department of State held talks with Qatar government officials regarding the allegations of unfair competition against Qatar Airways.
January 2017: Qatar Airways opens new premium lounge within Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport
In January 2017, Qatar Airways opened its new premium lounge within Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport, marking the airline's third international lounge. The lounge has a capacity for up to 200 passengers and includes two terraces.
March 2017: Qatar Airways reveals new business class cabin "Qsuite"
In March 2017, Qatar Airways unveiled its new business class cabin, named "Qsuite," featuring suites with doors in a 1-2-1 configuration. The Qsuite includes single seats by the windows, and middle section suites that can convert into a quad room for four passengers or a double bed for couples. The Qsuite was launched on new Boeing 777-300ER and A350 XWB aircraft and introduced on the Doha to London Heathrow route.
2017: Dispute with American Airlines began
From 2017 to 2020, Qatar Airways was engaged in a dispute with American Airlines.
2018: Dispute with Qantas started
In 2018, a dispute between Qatar Airways and Qantas started and it has continued to this date.
December 24, 2019: Marc Bennett found dead in Doha hotel room
On December 24, 2019, Marc Bennett was found hanged in his hotel room in Doha. Bennett was arrested after resigning from a senior post with Qatar Airways for a rival firm in Saudi Arabia.
2019: Qatar Airways threatens to leave Oneworld again
In 2019, Qatar Airways threatened to leave Oneworld citing its relationship with American and Qantas.
October 2, 2020: Australian passengers subjected to invasive search
On October 2, 2020, thirteen Australian female passengers on a Qatar Airways flight to Sydney were forced to deplane and were strip-searched after a newborn baby was found in an airport bathroom. This incident led to a diplomatic dispute between Australia and Qatar.
2020: Boeing 777-9X Deliveries Expected to Start
In 2020, Deliveries of the Boeing 777-9X passenger aircraft are expected to start.
2020: Australian Government rejects Qatar Airways capacity request due to the 2020 incident
In July 2023, the Australian Government rejected a request for Qatar Airways to double capacity into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth because the 2020 incident involving strip searching the passengers on one of their flights was a factor.
2020: Qatar Airways VP addresses incident
In September 2023, Matt Raos, Qatar Airways' senior vice president of global sales, referred to the 2020 incident as a "one-off and an isolated incident" during an Australian Senate inquiry.
2020: Dispute with American Airlines ended
Qatar Airways was engaged in a dispute with American Airlines from 2017 to 2020.
2021: Hololei allegedly received free flights from 2015 to 2021
Reports indicate Henrik Hololei traveled business class at no cost nine times from 2015 to 2021 from Qatar Airways while negotiating an Open Skies deal.
September 29, 2022: The Times publishes article about the death of Marc Bennett
On September 29, 2022, The Times published an article about the death of British travel industry executive Marc Bennett in Qatar.
December 2022: European Parliament suspends Qatar's access following bribery allegations
In December 2022, the European Parliament suspended Qatar's access following allegations that Qatari representatives offered substantial bribes to influence decisions, leading to arrests. Lufthansa subsequently called for suspension of the EU-Qatar air transport agreement.
2022: Report reveals dangerous working conditions for Qatar Airways crew
In 2022, a Thomson Reuters Foundation report revealed that Qatar Airways crew are frequently exposed to dangerous, life-threatening working conditions, with pilots and cabin crew suffering from burnout and fatigue due to being overworked and underpaid.
July 2023: Australian Government rejects Qatar Airways capacity request
In July 2023, the Australian Government rejected Qatar Airways' request to double capacity into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The Australian Minister for Transport stated that the 2020 incident influenced the decision.
September 2023: Qatar Airways VP addresses 2020 incident
In September 2023, during an Australian Senate inquiry, Qatar Airways' senior vice president of global sales Matt Raos characterized the 2020 incident as "a one-off and an isolated incident."
April 2024: Federal Court dismisses case against Qatar Airways
In April 2024, The Federal Court of Australia dismissed the case against Qatar Airways, determining that the searches did not occur on a Qatar Airways aircraft nor were conducted by its employees. Qatar had expressed its disapproval of the incident and Qatari officials apologized multiple times.
November 2024: Criminal investigation initiated into former EU transport chief
In November 2024, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) initiated a criminal investigation into Henrik Hololei, a former EU transport chief, over allegations of accepting free flights from Qatar Airways while negotiating an Open Skies deal that favored the airline.
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