Will Qatar Airways make it 8?

Last year Qatar Airways bagged its seventh ‘Airline of the Year’ accolade at the 2022 World Airline Awards managed by the international air transport rating institution, Skytrax. On the back of such a track record, here at Destination Magazine Zimbabwe, we are wondering if they are going to make it a record of eight gongs this year.

In April, Skytrax announced that the 2023 awards will take place in the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Air and Space Museum) at the Paris Air Show on 20 June.

At the Internationale Tourismusborse Berlin (ITB Berlin) 2023 held between 8 and 12 March at the Berlin Expo Center City, Qatar Airways revealed seven new destinations, 11 resumptions and 35 frequency increases. In effect we are looking at the addition of over 655 weekly flights to the summer 2023 schedule compared to 2022.

ITB Berlin is the world’s biggest travel and tourism trade show bringing together a range of exhibitors from over 180 countries, five continents and providing over 160 000 visitors with information on new products, services and facilities in the tourism industry.

At this year’s ITB Berlin expo, Qatar Airways celebrated its new Formula 1® partnership, and the airline’s virtual experiences, ‘QVerse’.

At a media briefing on the first day of ITB Berlin, Qatar Airways group chief executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker highlighted that Qatar Airways is dedicated to enriching the global community.

“As the World’s Best Airline, we are excited to offer more ways of bringing the world together, increasing connectivity and bridging gaps within the travel industry,” he said.

The World’s Top 20 Airlines in 2022

1. Qatar Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Emirates
4. ANA All Nippon Airways
5. Qantas Airways
6. Japan Airlines
7. Turkish Airlines
8. Air France
9. Korean Air
10. Swiss Int’l Air Lines
11. British Airways
12. Etihad Airways
13. China Southern
14. Hainan Airlines
15. Lufthansa
16. Cathay Pacific
17. KLM
18. EVA Air
19. Virgin Atlantic
20. Vistara

Other categories where recognition is awarded are:

• The World’s Best Cabin Staff
• The World’s Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness
• The World’s Best Independent Airport Lounges
• The World’s Best Leisure Airlines
• The World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airlines
• The World Best First Class Airline
• The World’s Best Business Class Airline
• The World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airline
• The World’s Best Economy Class Airline

Qatar Airways operates direct flights to Harare from Doha, Qatar. The airline recommends making bookings well in advance “as booking early means you are likely to secure the flight you want with your preferred departure and arrival times.” Reclining seats that have extra legroom, choosing your favourite dishes from a menu of delicious cuisine made from the finest ingredients and a host of in-flight entertainment options make the passenger experience memorable.

The airline has previously indicated its keenness to strengthen trade and tourism links between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and destinations on the Qatar Airways network and “steadily grow these routes to support the recovery of tourism and trade in the region.”

The carrier currently flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as the ‘World’s Best Airport’ 2022.

Last year, after two editions of virtual ceremonies due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the 2022 World Airline Awards event was held physically at the Langham Hotel in London, United Kingdom. The award ceremony is widely regarded as ‘the Oscars of the aviation industry.’

Speaking after the award presentation, Qatar Airways’ group CEO noted that the airline’s goal since inception was to take pole position in the aviation industry across the globe.

“To be named as the World’s Best Airline was always a

goal when Qatar Airways was created, but to win it for the seventh time and pick up three additional awards is a testament to all the hard work of our incredible employees. Their continued dedication and drive is to ensure our passengers have the best experience possible when they fly with Qatar Airways. To win these awards in the same year that we celebrate our 25th anniversary is even more rewarding and I want to offer a sincere thanks to all our passengers who voted for us. Your support drives us to greater achievements every day, we value your loyalty and aim to create memories of a lifetime when you fly with Qatar Airways,” he said.

Qatar Airways was the largest airline that flew consistently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with their network never falling below 30 destinations. The airline was also awarded ‘World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge and World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, Best Business Class On-board Catering as well as Best Airline in the Middle East.

Launched in 1999, the World Airline Awards remain independent and impartial. Airlines do not pay to be included and there are no costs involved to attend the awards event or subsequent marketing rights. Travellers across the world vote in the airline passenger satisfaction survey to decide the award winners. The survey is provided in various languages and survey entries are screened to identify IP and user information, with all duplicate, suspect or ineligible entries deleted. More than 350 airlines are featured in the final Award results.

Text By Perry Kaande

From DESTINATION ZW EDITION 3