Perth Airport says a decision by Qatar Airways to switch to an Airbus 380 for its daily service from Doha will deliver a boost for tourism in Western Australia.
The A380 new-generation 517-seater aircraft contains a three-class configuration of eight seats in First Class, 48 seats in Business Class and 461 in Economy Class.
Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown says Qatar’s decision to use the new generation A380 will see its capacity surge by almost 45 per cent.
“This decision is more great news for Perth Airport and for the local tourism industry,” Mr Brown said.
“From May of next year this will add almost 116,000 additional seats to the route with more than 7,000 passengers travelling between Doha and Perth every week.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to bring more international tourists to our capital city and our State.
“This is a quality aircraft being operated by one of the world’s top airlines through the international hub of Doha.
“With Qatar Airways’ major sectors beyond Doha being London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Rome and Paris, this opens up new opportunities to attract more tourists from the European market.
“It also creates more opportunities for Western Australians to explore European destinations.
“The Qatar Airways decision is another vote of confidence from the international aviation industry in Perth and Western Australia.”
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We have seen continued demand and increased appetite for travel among the Western Australian market since we started flying this route from July 2012.
“We are delighted to be deploying our iconic A380 aircraft on the Perth route from 1 May 2018. When travelling to some of Western Australians’ favourite European cities including London and Paris, Perth passengers can henceforth enjoy a seamless inflight experience onboard our A380 aircraft on all legs of their journey.”
Doha-Perth flight schedule
Doha-Perth QR 900 Departs 02:00hrs, Arrives 18:25hrs
Perth-Doha QR 901 Departs 23:05hrs, Arrives 05:55hrs
