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. Employing over 43,000 people, Qatar Airways has been a member of the Oneworld alliance since October 2013. Its slogan is "Going Places Together".

January 2012: Qatar Airways Opens First Lounge Outside Doha

In January 2012, Qatar Airways opened its first lounge outside Doha at London Heathrow's Terminal 4.

2013: Qatar Airways Joins Oneworld Alliance

In 2013, Qatar Airways joined the Oneworld alliance, marking a significant step in its global expansion.

2014: Report of Employee Monitoring and Control

In 2014, the Swedish newspaper Expressen published a report based around three Qatar Airways employees, whose lives were allegedly heavily "monitored" and "controlled" by the company, prompting denial from Qatar Airways CEO.

2015: Hololei Allegedly Starts Receiving Free Flights

From 2015, Henrik Hololei, a former EU transport chief, allegedly began receiving free business class flights from Qatar Airways, totaling nine trips until 2021.

2015: Qatar Airways Opens Al Safwa First Lounge

In 2015, Qatar Airways opened the Al Safwa First Lounge 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, but did not follow through on this threat.

April 2016: Qatar Airways Opens Premium Lounge at Dubai-International

In April 2016, Qatar Airways opened its new Premium Lounge at Dubai-International's Concourse D.

January 2017: Qatar Airways Opens Premium Lounge 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.

March 2017: Qatar Airways Reveals New Business Class Cabin "Qsuite"

In March 2017, Qatar Airways revealed a new business class cabin, named "Qsuite," offering suites with doors arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration and convertible middle section suites. The new seats were launched on new Boeing 777-300ER and A350 XWB aircraft.

2017: Dispute with American Airlines Begins

In 2017, Qatar Airways engaged in a dispute with American Airlines, marking the beginning of a period of tension between the two airlines.

2018: Dispute with Qantas Starts

In 2018, a dispute between Qatar Airways and Qantas started, adding to the airline's history of public disagreements with fellow Oneworld members.

December 24, 2019: Marc Bennett Found Dead in Doha Hotel Room

On December 24, 2019, Marc Bennett, a former Qatar Airways employee, was found hanged in his hotel room in Doha, leading to an investigation by The Times.

2019: Qatar Airways Threatens to Leave Oneworld Again

In 2019, Qatar Airways once again threatened to leave Oneworld, citing its relationship with Qantas, but never followed through on the threat.

October 2, 2020: Australian Women Subjected to Invasive Searches at Doha Airport

On October 2, 2020, thirteen Australian female passengers aboard a Qatar Airways flight to Sydney were forced to deplane and were subsequently strip searched and "subjected to an invasive internal examination" against their will at Hamad International Airport in Doha.

2020: Dispute with American Airlines Ends

In 2020, the dispute between Qatar Airways and American Airlines, which had begun in 2017, came to an end.

2021: Hololei Allegedly Receives Last Free Flight

In 2021, Henrik Hololei, a former EU transport chief, allegedly made his last of nine business class travels at no cost, as a result of a deal with Qatar Airways since 2015.

September 29, 2022: Article Published About 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, who had previously worked for Qatar Airways.

October 2022: Legal Proceedings Initiated by Australian Women

In October 2022, the affected Australian women began legal proceedings in Australia against Qatar Airways and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority under the Montreal convention, following the incident in Doha.

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 the arrest of several individuals.

2022: Report Exposes Dangerous Working Conditions

In 2022, a Thompson Reuters Foundation report revealed that Qatar Airways crew are frequently exposed to dangerous, life-threatening working conditions, leading to burnout and fatigue.

July 2023: Australian Government Rejects Qatar Airways Capacity Request

In July 2023, the Australian Government rejected a request for Qatar Airways to double capacity into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with the 2020 incident at Doha airport cited as a factor influencing the decision.

September 2023: Qatar Airways VP Asserts 2020 Incident Was Isolated

In September 2023, Qatar Airways' senior vice president of global sales Matt Raos asserted that the 2020 incident involving Australian women at Doha airport was "a one-off and an isolated incident" during an Australian Senate inquiry.

April 2024: Federal Court Dismisses Case Related to Airport Searches

In April 2024, The Federal Court of Australia dismissed the case related to the searches of women at Doha airport, after finding that the searches did not happen onboard a Qatar Airways aircraft nor were carried out by the airline's employees.

November 2024: Criminal Investigation Initiated into Henrik Hololei

In November 2024, it was reported the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has 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.

January 7, 2025: Qatar Airways Resumes Flights to Damascus

On January 7, 2025, Qatar Airways resumed its schedule of three weekly flights to Damascus after 13 years of absence, helping Syria reconnect with major destinations in the region.

March 2025: Qatar Airways Expands Services for Summer Travel Surge

In March 2025 Qatar Airways announced it is expanding its services to meet the anticipated summer travel surge by increasing flights to 11 global destinations, including London Heathrow, Male, Miami and Tokyo.