Full Breakdown
Qatar Airways Gears Up for Winter Surge with Fleet Expansion and Network Growth
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Operations and Passenger Recovery
Qatar Airways has restored passenger traffic to roughly 90 %–95 % of the previous year’s levels, according to CEO Hamad Ali Al-Khater. Daily throughput at Hamad International Airport now exceeds 140,000 passengers as international carriers resume services to Doha. The airline’s network has grown from about 60 to 160 destinations since mid-June, supporting a winter schedule that will feature more than 186 weekly flights across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.
Fleet Modernization and Route Expansion
The carrier plans to add 138 new aircraft over the next five years, including Airbus A350-1000s, Boeing 777-9s and 50 Airbus A321LRs slated for delivery by the end of the year to serve secondary markets. Roughly 150 wide-body jets—about 83 % of the airline’s connectivity goal—are already equipped with Starlink high-speed internet, making Qatar Airways the world’s largest connected fleet. New services launched this year include four weekly flights to Helsinki, later increased to seven, and the inaugural Doha-Bogotá and Doha-Caracas routes, marking the first Gulf carrier presence in Venezuela and a direct Middle-East link to Bogotá. In Europe, weekly flights to London Heathrow will rise from 49 to 56 starting October 25, and Frankfurt services will increase from 18 to 21 beginning December 7.
Operational Preparations for Winter
Following the national airspace closure on February 28, a passenger support centre was activated, assisting 8,000 stranded passengers in Doha and 8,400 across the network. COO Abdulla Ali noted that while crises are unpredictable, the airline’s integrated group structure—combining airline, airport operator and ground-handling functions—provides the agility needed for efficient operations.
