By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Qatar Airways continues to lead the recovery of International travel and its network has never fallen below 30 destinations with continuous services to five continents even during the pandemic, said Akbar Al-Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways.

In an in-depth interview with the Kuwait Times, Al-Baker gave an overview of Qatar Airways' resilience and commitment while providing global connectivity during the pandemic. He said the airline has launched several new destinations since the start of the pandemic in addition to the resumptions of its services to a number of destinations. The airline now operates over 700 weekly flights to more than 100 destinations, providing more flexible travel options to more global destinations than any other airline, he explained. Excerpts from the interview:

Kuwait Times: Just like other industries around the world, the aviation sector has been badly hit and crippled by the pandemic. Where is Qatar Airways now in terms of operations, global reach, manpower and the entire aviation business?

Al-Baker: Qatar Airways continues to lead the recovery of International travel. Since the onset of the pandemic, while many airlines suspended their operations, Qatar Airways' network has never fallen below 30 destinations with continuous services to five continents.

The airline's strategic investment in a variety of fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, including the largest fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, has enabled it to continue flying, perfectly positioning the carrier to lead the sustainable recovery of international travel, and giving the airline the flexibility to maintain and rebuild its network sustainably by operating the right sized aircraft to offer reliable capacity in each market.

According to recent IATA data, Qatar Airways has become the largest international carrier by fulfilling its mission of taking people home. This enabled the airline to accumulate unmatched experience in carrying passengers safely and reliably and uniquely positioned the airline to effectively rebuild its network. The carrier has stringently implemented the most advanced safety and hygiene measures on board its aircraft and in Hamad International Airport.

Qatar Airways has become the largest international carrier flying over 33 billion revenue passenger kilometers taking home over 4.6 million passengers flown sectors on over 37,000 flights. The airline has also operated more than 400 charter flights across the world enabling it to stay up to date with the latest airport and national health procedures and maintain a finger on the pulse of global passenger flows, in particular in markets where it does not operate regular scheduled flights.

Looking ahead, the airline's resilience and commitment to providing connectivity has also seen it launch several new destinations since the start of the pandemic in addition to the resumptions of its services to a number of destinations. As the airline's network rebuild continues, it will remain focused on providing seamless, safe and reliable connectivity to its millions of passengers and ensuring the airline continues to earn the trust of passengers every time they choose to fly with Qatar Airways.

Realistic approach

KT: When do you expect it to improve? What major adjustments you made to overcome the aviation crisis?
Al-Baker: Qatar Airways operations are not dependent on any specific aircraft type. The airline's variety of modern fuel-efficient aircraft has meant it can continue flying by offering the right capacity in each market.

Due to COVID-19's impact on travel demand, the airline has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market. The airline's fleet of 49 Airbus A350 and 30 Boeing 787 are the ideal choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes to Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.

While no airline can predict how the market will recover or future entry restrictions, our unrivaled experience accumulated by becoming the largest international carrier during this crisis uniquely positions us to build a realistic schedule of flights with confidence.

Flexible options
KT: Where is Qatar Airways heading? What are the plans to reposition, rebalance and survive the impact of the pandemic?
Al-Baker: Qatar Airways now operates over 700 weekly flights to more than 100 destinations, providing more flexible travel options to more global destinations than any other airline. Qatar Airways has also announced its winter schedule in line with passenger and cargo demand and the continued relaxation of entry restrictions around the world.

By the end of 2020, Qatar Airways plans to expand its network to more than 125 destinations including 20 in Africa, 11 in the Americas, 41 in Asia-Pacific, 38 in Europe and 15 in Middle East. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with daily or more frequencies. Our focus throughout the rebuild of our network is not only on restarting destinations but also operating as many frequencies as possible to provide our passengers the flexibility to travel when they want.

KT: Qatar Airways is expanding its network with a focus on US and EU - which specific destinations are you thinking about?
Al-Baker: By the end of 2020, Qatar Airways' plans to rebuild its network to more than 125 destinations, including:

Africa
Accra (ACC), Addis Ababa (ADD), Algiers (ALG), Cape Town (CPT), Casablanca (CMN), Dar Es Salaam (DAR), Djibouti (JIB), Durban (DUR), Entebbe (EBB), Johannesburg (JNB), Kigali (KGL), Kilimanjaro (JRO), Lagos (LOS), Luanda (LAD), Maputo (MPM), Mogadishu (MGQ), Nairobi (NBO), Seychelles (SEZ), Tunis (TUN), Zanzibar (ZNZ)

Americas
Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Montreal (YUL), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO), Sao Paulo (GRU), Washington D.C. (IAD)

Asia-Pacific
Ahmedabad (AMD), Adelaide (ADL), Amritsar (ATQ), Auckland (AKL),Bangalore (BLR), Bangkok (BKK), Brisbane (BNE), Calicut (CCJ), Cebu (CEB), Chennai (MAA), Clark (CRK), Colombo (CMB), Dhaka (DAC), Guangzhou (CAN), Hanoi (HAN), Hong Kong (HKG), Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), Goa (GOI), Hyderabad (HYD), Islamabad (ISB), Jakarta (CGK), Karachi (KHI), Kathmandu (KTM), Kochi (COK), Kolkata (CCU), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Lahore (LHE), Male (MLE), Manila (MNL), Melbourne (MEL), Mumbai (BOM), Nagpur (NAG), New Delhi (DEL), Perth (PER), Peshawar (PEW), Phuket (HKT), Seoul (ICN), Singapore (SIN), Sydney (SYD), Tokyo Narita (NRT), Trivandrum (TRV)

Europe
Amsterdam (AMS), Ankara (ESB), Athens (ATH), Baku (GYD), Barcelona (BCN), Belgrade (BEG), Berlin (BER/TXL), Brussels (BRU), Bucharest (OTP), Budapest (BUD), Copenhagen (CPH), Dublin (DUB), Edinburgh (EDI), Frankfurt (FRA), Helsinki (HEL), Istanbul (IST), Istanbul Sabiha (SAW), Kiev (KBP), Larnaca (LCA), London (LHR), London (LGW), Madrid (MAD), Manchester (MAN), Milan (MXP), Moscow (DME), Munich (MUC), Oslo (OSL), Paris (CDG), Prague (PRG), Rome (FCO), Sofia (SOF), Stockholm (ARN), Tbilisi (TBS), Vienna (VIE), Warsaw (WAW), Yerevan (EVN), Zagreb (ZAG), Zurich (ZRH)

Middle East
Amman (AMM), Baghdad (BGW), Basra (BSR), Beirut (BEY), Erbil (EBL), Isfahan (IFN), Kuwait (KWI), Mashhad (MHD), Muscat (MCT), Najaf (NJF), Shiraz (SYZ), Sulaymaniyah (ISU), Tehran (IKA)

Safety measures
KT: Explain to us what are the measures taken by Qatar Airways to be safe against COVID-19 throughout the entire journey.
Al-Baker: As one of the largest and most experienced global airlines throughout the COVID-19 crisis, travelers can rely on Qatar Airways to take them on your next journey safely. We continue to ensure that our safety and hygiene measures are of the highest standard, with new procedures implemented throughout the customers' journey, from check in to arrival at their destination.

Qatar Airways became the first global carrier to operate Honeywell's Ultraviolet (UV) Cabin System, further advancing its hygiene measures onboard. In clinical tests, UV light has been shown to be capable of inactivating various viruses and bacteria when properly applied. Qatar Airways further increased its health and safety measures onboard by introducing new personal protective equipment (PPE) for customers and cabin crew. The airline's robust measures included offering face shields to all passengers, in addition to a disposable protective gown for cabin crew, which is fitted over their uniforms, in addition to safety glasses, gloves and a mask.

Face shields will be distributed at the airport and are to be worn when boarding and disembarking. Economy Class are required to wear them on board, except when eating or drinking. Business Class are asked to wear them at their own discretion. Onboard, all Qatar Airways passengers are provided with a complimentary protective kit. Inside a ziplock pouch, a single-use face mask, large disposable powder-free gloves and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel are offered.

Parents flying with children should advise them to keep wearing their PPE throughout the journey, although children under two years of age are not advised to wear face shields and face masks or coverings. During boarding and disembarkation, all passengers will be required to wear their face mask or covering as well as the face shield. In addition, for aircraft equipped with Qsuite, Qatar Airways' award-winning business seat, Business Class customers are offered even greater privacy with sliding partitions and fully closing doors, and an option to display a 'Do Not Disturb (DND)' indicator if they wish to limit their interactions with cabin crew.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the airline has also applied other additional health and safety measures on-board its flights. Business Class meals are served covered on a tray instead of a table set up, and a cutlery wrap is offered to passengers as an alternative to individual cutlery service, in an effort to minimize contact between crew and passengers. Qatar Airways has also introduced single-use menu cards and sealed refreshing wipes. Economy Class meals and cutlery are served sealed as usual, and menu cards have been temporarily discontinued. All social areas onboard the aircraft have been closed adhering to social distancing measures.

Qatar Airways' aircraft are regularly disinfected using cleaning products recommended by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Its aircraft feature the most advanced air filtration systems, equipped with industrial-size HEPA filters that remove 99.97 percent of viral and bacterial contaminants from re-circulated air, providing the most effective protection against infection.

The airline's onboard linen and blankets continue to be washed, dried and pressed at microbial lethal temperatures, while its headsets are rigorously sanitized after each flight. These items are then sealed into individual packaging by staff wearing hygienic disposable gloves. Cabin crew have received training on how to minimize their chances of contracting or spreading the infection, are thermally screened before the departure of flights and after their arrival, and are quarantined and tested if any colleagues or passengers on a flight shows any symptoms of infection or test positive for the virus.

In addition, HIA has implemented stringent cleaning procedures and applied social distancing measures throughout its terminals. All passenger touch-points are sanitized every 10-15 minutes and every boarding gate and bus gate counter is cleaned after each flight. In addition, hand sanitizers are provided at immigration and security screening points.

HIA has also introduced UV-C disinfectant robots which are fully autonomous mobile devices emitting concentrated UV-C light, and are deployed in high passenger flow areas to reduce the spread of pathogens. All arrivals and departures passengers will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms. Advanced thermal screening helmets are also used, equipped with infrared thermal imaging and artificial intelligence.

Five-star airport
KT: Hamad International Airport was recognized as the best in the Middle East and third globally - tell us more about it.
Al-Baker: Hamad International Airport (HIA) continues to retain its five-star airport classification since 2017. These achievements are a result of the hard work and determination demonstrated by the airport staff, to make HIA the "world's fastest growing airport."

HIA has been ranked the "Third Best Airport in the World," among 550 airports worldwide, by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020. Rising from fourth position in 2019 to third in 2020, HIA has been steadily rising in the "World's Best Airports" rankings since the start of its operations in 2014. In addition, HIA has been voted the "Best Airport in the Middle East" for the sixth year in a row and "Best Staff Service in the Middle East" for the fifth year in a row.

KT: You never stopped during the pandemic, but international passengers are few and many countries are locked down. How does this affect your business and staff?
Al-Baker: Qatar Airways' variety of modern fuel-efficient aircraft has allowed the airline to continue flying by offering the right capacity in each market. Due to COVID-19's impact on travel demand, the carrier has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market. The airline's fleet of 49 Airbus A350 and 30 Boeing 787 are the ideal choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes, including those in the United States.

Qatar Airways is familiar with facing exceptional challenges; however, 2019-20 has been one of the most difficult years in the airline's history. The combination of the ongoing illegal air space blockade against the State of Qatar, and the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has resulted in the Qatar Airways Group reporting loss for the year 2019-20. Excluding these exceptional items, the Group's results at both operating and net levels would have been better than that reported in the year before clearly demonstrating the Group's improving performance.

Such improvement is evidenced from the increasing in the Group's overall revenue and other operating income to QAR 51.1 billion, up 6.4 per cent compared to last year. Passenger revenue grew by 8.9 per cent with capacity (Available Seat Kilometers) growth of 3.2 per cent. Qatar Airways carried 32.4 million passengers, an increase of 9.8 per cent over last financial year.

KT: What is the flexible and travel with confidence reservation policy??
Al-Baker: More people rely on Qatar Airways for international travel than any other airline during this crisis as we continue to ensure the safest and most reliable experience for our passengers and resume flights to more destinations over the coming period. Qatar Airways has paid out over $1.2 billion in refunds to almost 600,000 passengers since March, demonstrating its commitment to honoring its obligations to passengers who need to change their plans due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global travel.

In the context of unprecedented numbers of refund requests as airlines and passengers navigate entry restrictions imposed by countries around the world to limit the spread of COVID-19, Qatar Airways has worked hard to process almost all refunds requested since March 2020 (96 percent). The airline is now processing all new refunds back to the original form of payment in less than 30 days.

To provide travellers with peace of mind when booking travel, Qatar Airways has extended its commitment to offering passengers flexible booking options, now available for all tickets issued before 31 December. If passengers need to change their travel plans, they can hold their ticket value for two years, benefit from unlimited date changes, or exchange their ticket for a future travel voucher with 10 percent extra value.

If passengers have had their travel plans impacted by factors outside their control, they can change their destination - within the same continental region for Qatar Airways Privilege Club members or within the same country or a 500 mile radius for non-members, swap their ticket for Qmiles, or refund their ticket with no fees applied

Repatriation of students
KT: Tell us about Qatar Airways' repatriation of Kuwaiti students from the US.?
Al-Baker: Qatar Airways in collaboration with the Kuwaiti government has effectively contributed to the repatriation of Kuwaiti citizens stranded due to the pandemic, and this was evident when the Airline has repatriated more than 12,000 passengers during Kuwait Airport closure (April - July 20), as the Airline continued to fly daily when most other airlines stopped their operation.
Furthermore, the Airline participated in the largest government repatriation plan in the history of Kuwait, carrying over 5000 Kuwaitis students wishing to return home onboard 18 direct charter flights from USA.

KT: When can we expect the resumption of Qatar Airways' regular operations in Kuwait?
Al-Baker: Qatar Airways currently operates two daily flights from Kuwait, with seat capping of 260 passengers daily per direction. Qatar Airways pays great attention to the Kuwaiti travel market and thanks to the constructive and continuous cooperation with the Kuwait Civil Aviation Authority, The Airline is constantly aiming to increase the number of its daily flights and provide the best flexible travel options to over 100 global destinations for travelers from Kuwait through Doha.

Business Class passengers on those flights can enjoy the award-winning Qsuite business class seat with its enhanced privacy, including sliding privacy doors and the option to use a 'Do Not Disturb (DND)' indicator. The Qsuite is available to more than 30 destinations, including London, Sydney, Singapore and Dallas-Fort Worth.

New mobile app
KT: You have a new mobile app - what are its benefits?
Al-Baker: Qatar Airways announced significant updates to its mobile app that allow passengers to plan their travel with greater ease, helping minimize physical contact and interactions throughout their journey. Members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club will earn 1,000 Qmiles when they download the mobile app.

With an updated, intuitively designed look and feel, the Qatar Airways mobile app now presents a personalized home screen that provides the most relevant information to each user. For those with an upcoming flight, the mobile app's existing 'My Trips' feature will now be displayed on the home screen, highlighting the most important information at each stage of their journey. For those without a current booking, special offers will be displayed, tailored to their location.

Additionally, the mobile app is now available in the Arabic language, demonstrating the airline's commitment to Arabic-speaking customers around the world. With the airline's mobile app's 'MyTrips' feature, now prominently presented on the home screen, passengers can select their preferred seat and meals in advance, check-in online, download their boarding pass to a mobile wallet, and generate a baggage tag to print and attach to their luggage at home.

Passengers can also enable notifications through the mobile app to receive important alerts about their upcoming flight's departure times, check-in, boarding and baggage collection. Throughout the passenger's journey, the mobile app can be used to track baggage and book Meet and Assist services at Hamad International Airport in Doha. Other features of Qatar Airways' mobile app will continue to be offered to its customers. Before travel, customers can use the mobile app to check the latest information on country and travel requirements, including visa and passport information.

Providing seamless booking options, the mobile app also includes a camera tool, allowing passengers to capture a photo of their passport or payment card without having to manually enter this information upon check out. Meanwhile, members of Qatar Airways' loyalty program, Privilege Club, can use the app to seamlessly log in with fingerprint or facial recognition, book a trip using Cash + Qmiles, redeem Privilege Club awards, manage their accounts, and much more.