• New airline and new route for Sydney Airport
• Qatar Airways will provide connectivity to more than 150 business and leisure destinations across its global network
• Set to boost tourism and trade, contributing $240 million to the Australian economy

Sydney Airport has welcomed a new airline, with Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight touching down in Sydney yesterday.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Qatar Airways to Sydney Airport. Qatar Airways is a three-time Skytrax Airline of the Year winner and will provide passengers with more choice, a quality product and seamless connectivity through Doha’s new Hamad International Airport to destinations around the world,” Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather said.

“Qatar Airways’ new daily service will boost tourism, providing an additional 245,000 seats per year, generating an estimated 3,000 jobs and contributing more than $240 million to the Australian economy.

“It will also foster trade, providing greater air cargo capacity and access to the Middle East. Australian exports to Doha grew by 23 per cent last year, and the State of Qatar’s high demand for livestock, cereal, meat, dairy products and crops provides a significant opportunity for Australian exporters.”

The daily Doha-Sydney service will be operated on a 335-seat Boeing 777 aircraft, featuring the new Oryx One inflight entertainment system with more than 3,000 entertainment options on individual screens in all classes. In Qatar Airways’ award-winning Business Class, passengers will experience fully flat beds and an on-demand à la carte menu service allowing them to order anything from the menu at any time during the flight.

“Touching down here in Sydney for the first time is an important milestone for Qatar Airways and for the people of Australia,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said.

“We are delighted to be able to offer passengers flying from Sydney the opportunity to connect to more than 150 places on our global network via our state-of-the-art airport in Doha. We look forward to taking the people of Sydney to the places they want to go on our modern aircraft, and giving them a taste of the Arabian hospitality and comfort which earned us the aviation industry’s most prestigious title of Skytrax Airline of the Year in 2015.

“I would like to personally thank Sydney Airport and city authorities for welcoming us and we look forward to strengthening our relationships with them and the people of Australia in the coming years as we all go places together.”

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said: “I am delighted to welcome the first Qatar Airways flight to Sydney which will provide a valuable increase in aviation capacity from the Middle East and greater connectivity to Sydney and Regional NSW, particularly for travellers flying from the United Kingdom and Europe via Doha.

“The NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, will be working in close partnership with Qatar Airways to promote travel to Sydney and the surrounding NSW regions from the United Kingdom and Germany.

“Our State is Australia’s home of international travel and the NSW Government is committed to working with the aviation industry to increase air travel to Sydney via airline partnership agreements.”

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan also welcomed the airline’s arrival.

"In recent years, we’ve seen the Middle East become an important aviation hub for international travellers wishing to fly on to Australia from some of our most important European markets, including the UK,” Mr. O’Sullivan said.

"The launch of Qatar Airways’ new Sydney service provides air travellers with another convenient option to explore Australia and generate additional international expenditure for our tourism industry."

Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. The airline is a member of the oneworld global alliance, which includes airlines servicing Sydney such as Qantas, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, British Airways, JAL, Malaysia Airlines and LATAM.

Flight schedule (all times local)

Depart Doha at 20:10, arrive Sydney at 18:05 (next day)

Depart Sydney at 22:20, arrive Doha at 05:05 (next day)