Qatar Airways has announced that it will introduce its flagship Airbus A380 on the Doha-Guangzhou route.
Guangzhou will be the airline’s fourth A380 destination after London, Paris and Bangkok.
Daily flights on board the world’s largest commercial aircraft will begin on July 1 from Hamad International Airport in Doha to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. “Passengers travelling to and from Guangzhou on Qatar Airways QR874 and QR875 will enjoy a unique and enhanced travel experience on the airline’s bespoke A380 super-jumbo aircraft,” the Doha-based carrier said in a statement.
The 517-seat aircraft is spread across twin decks in a tri-class configuration of eight seats in first class, 48 in business class and 461 in economy class. Seats in each cabin class are proprietary to Qatar Airways and have been crafted in close collaboration with the designers and manufacturers.
Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar al-Baker said: “This year marks our eighth anniversary of operations in Guangzhou and we are delighted to celebrate this milestone by introducing our bespoke A380 aircraft, reaffirming our long-standing commitment to China. The Pearl River Delta region is one of China’s most vibrant trade and travel hubs and we have witnessed steady passenger growth both to and from Guangzhou over the years.
“Passengers from Asia can now enjoy their entire journey on our luxurious A380 aircraft when they fly to popular cities such as London and Paris via our state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport in Doha.”
Travellers can “indulge in luxury and spacious extravagance” on their way to Guangzhou for the Canton Fair — one of China’s largest import and export trade events — in October, for which Qatar Airways is the official airline partner, the statement noted.
The Doha-Guangzhou daily flight schedule is as follows: QR874 departing Doha at 2.30am and arriving in Guangzhou at 3.30pm; and QR875 departing Guangzhou at 12.55am and arriving in Doha at 4am.