Qatar Airways is preparing for the busy winter travel season and planning the next phase of its growth. After months of regional disruptions, including the temporary suspension of flights in February, the Doha-based airline has had to adapt its operations to offer passenger support, expand its routes and remain resilient. And now, Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Chief Executive Officer at Qatar Airways Group, said that “passenger numbers have recovered to around 90%-95% of last year’s levels”, with Hamad International Airport currently handling more than 140,000 passengers a day as international carriers gradually return to Doha.
This includes British Airways, which resumed daily direct flights from London Heathrow to the Qatari capital earlier this month. Al-Khater was speaking during a behind-the-scenes tour at Hamad International Airport. Here, Euronews Travel was given in-depth access into the teams and facilities that have kept the airline’s operations running through a period of regional and international disruption, as well as preparing for the winter season.
Qatar Airways is also planning for the long-term. Al-Khater said the airline is set to receive new long-range aircraft by the end of the year with a new cabin configuration. This will allow the carrier to “reach destinations further away than our existing narrow-body aircraft can serve”.
He added: “That will open up opportunities to fly to other cities and what we call secondary airports, which may previously have been difficult to serve economically.” Over the next five years, 138 new aircraft are also slated to be added to the Qatar Airways fleet. Travellers can expect a new generation of the airline’s Qsuite business class product, which Al-Khater said is due to be unveiled in summer 2027. Behind the scenes, returning to normal levels of operation, and preparing for the winter travel rush, involves a vast operation, spanning aircraft maintenance, customer service, ground operations and inflight offerings.
During the 2026-2027 winter season, Qatar Airways will expand its global network to more than 170 destinations. On the horizon are 186 weekly flights across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. In Europe, the airline is set to increase its London Heathrow service from 49 to 56 weekly flights starting on 25 October.
While flights to Frankfurt will increase from 18 to 21 weekly flights from 7 December. Here, Euronews Travel was given a closer look at one of the aircraft undergoing maintenance as part of Qatar Airways’ continued rollout of Starlink connectivity. In August, Qatar Airways became the first airline to operate a Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
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