Some kind of party. And some kind of growing global competition.
Qatar Airways celebrated its first flight to Toronto Pearson on 12DEC with a splashy party at a downtown Toronto hotel. Guests, including travel advisors, airline executives, high-ranking government officials and the media, listened to the soft sounds of a jazz trio and nibbled on Middle Eastern dishes such as Chicken Tajine.
A spokesperson for the airline told Open Jaw that Qatar Airways is anxious to work with the Canadian trade and that they also operate fam trips for advisors.
They also provided lucky winners with two biz class tix between YYZ and Doha Hamad/DOH, and two biz class tix anywhere in the Qatar Airways network.
Craig Thomas, Vice President Sales, Americas, told the crowd he lived in Toronto in 2015 and 2016.
“Its people embrace diversity, innovation, growth, development and global mobility,” he said. “I’m proud that Qatar Airways now contributes directly to the economic and social development of the GTA. This will facilitate new cultural and social connections over our global hub in Doha.”
“This marks an important milestone for us as we continue to expand our network, which now spans more than 170 destinations worldwide,” said Paul Starrs, Senior Vice President, International Sales, Qatar Airways. “Our goal has always been to offer passengers an unparalled travel experience. With this in mind we’ve certainly worked to strengthen our business in North America, becoming a trusted global connector.
“Our journey into Canada began with the launch of our gateway in Montreal (in 2011), proudly marking our first step into this incredible country. Since then, we have carried more than 1.6 million passengers to and from Montreal.”
Starrs said almost 15% of passengers flying into YUL were connecting to YYZ, so the airline knew there was a market for a direct flight, “especially as passenger traffic at Toronto Pearson continues to grow.”
“The launch of this new gateway in Toronto reflects our commitment to Canadian customers, providing greater access to Qatar Airways’ exceptional service and renowned in-flight product,” Starrs said. “It is a privilege to connect more Canadians with destinations across our global network, including Bangkok, Colombo, Delhi, Katmandu and Mumbai.
“With three weekly flights, we are really excited about the opportunity to grow our footprint in Toronto and introduce more travellers to the world-class service Qatar Airways is known for, and hopefully we can have more flights than these three very, very soon,” he added. “As Canada’s largest airport and the second largest in North America in terms of international traffic, Toronto Pearson is a critical hub for global travellers.
“It’s only fitting it becomes the next destination for the world’s best airline.”
Qatar Airways was named World’s Best Airline in the Skytrax World Airline Awards for 2024. It also was awarded best Business Class for 2024 by Skytrax. DOH was voted best airport in the world at the 2024 Skytrax Airport Awards.
Robert Kokonis, Toronto-based president of AirTrav Inc., told Open Jaw that Canada and Qatar signed an updated agreement last month that permits Qatar Airways to increase the number of flights between Doha and Toronto to seven per week.
He also noted that Qatar Airways is the Middle East member airline of Oneworld, the global alliance that includes carriers such as American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, and Qantas, amongst others.
“The increased frequencies will help boost business and tourism ties between Canada and Qatar,” he said. “More importantly though, Qatar Airways joins Emirates and Etihad Airways, along with Turkish Airlines, as operators of large Sixth Freedom global airport hubs in the broader region.
“In addition to those carriers, Saudia is also transforming its business model such that its network can take advantage of Sixth Freedom opportunities, such as Saudia’s Toronto flight with connections over the carrier’s Jeddah hub.
“The presence of so many international carriers in Canada will be a competitive threat to Air Canada in particular, and WestJet to a certain degree. But while this increase in flight frequencies and seat capacity via competitive Sixth Freedom markets may seem excessive, it also reflects Canada’s changing demographics, population growth, and overall place in the world.”
