Qatar Airways’ first flight from Doha to Izmir landed today at Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport, marking the addition of airline’s seventh Turkish gateway. Qatar Airways flight QR 347, operated by an Airbus A320, was welcomed to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport by a celebratory water cannon salute.
The Turkish Ambassador to the State of Qatar, H.E. Fikret Özer, was joined by Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Europe, Mr. Sylvain Bosc, onboard Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight to Izmir.
VIPs present to greet the aircraft upon arrival included the Deputy Governor of Izmir, Mr. Aydın Memük; DHMİ Deputy Chief Manager Adnan Menderes International Airport, Mr. Necmi Karakoç; DHMİ Deputy Chief Manager, Hasan Çıracı; and TAV Ege General Manager, Mr. Erkan Balcı.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to launch direct services to Izmir, a beautiful coastal city and key business hub. This new gateway to Turkey will strengthen Qatar Airways’ already robust presence in the Turkish market while providing our passengers traveling from Turkey enhanced connectivity to our extensive global route map of more than 160 destinations. Izmir is also home to the country’s second-largest port after Istanbul, and is a major commercial center, making it a key destination for business travelers.”
TAV Ege General Manager, Mr. Erkan Balcı, said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome Qatar Airways inaugural flight from Doha. Izmir Adnan Menderes airport is the gateway to the world-famous Aegean region, which is home to major cultural and historic attractions, drawing millions of visitors each year from all over the world.”
Three weekly flights to Izmir will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) to more than 160 destinations worldwide including Maldives. The airline will add a number of new destinations to its extensive route network in 2019, including Izmir, Turkey; Rabat, Morocco; Malta; Davao, Philippines; Lisbon, Portugal; Mogadishu, Somalia and Langkawi, Malaysia.
