Destination NSW will welcome a new daily service from Doha, Qatar from 1 March 2016, providing an additional 122,500 seats into Sydney each year.
Seven new daily direct services per week from Doha to Sydney will be serviced by the Boeing 777-300 aircraft which carries 335 passengers – 42 in Business Class and 293 in Economy. Qatar Airways has a strong and growing network, with Doha a connecting hub for Europe, Africa and Asia. Sydney currently welcomes 35,000 visitors from the Middle East who spend $200m annually in NSW, so the new services will significantly increase visitation, particularly given they will provide a greater link to the United Kingdom and Europe.
NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres welcomed the announcement. "Sydney is the gateway to Australia and our most popular city and state for visitors. This new service from Qatar Airways will enable NSW to capitalise on the airline's access to European markets as well as countries across their global network, and according to Sydney Airport will generate an estimated $95m to the NSW visitor economy. In addition at least 2,500 jobs are expected to be created in NSW as a result of the new service."
Sydney Airport managing director and chief executive officer Kerrie Mather said, "We're looking forward to welcoming Qatar Airways to Sydney Airport. As Skytrax's 2015 Airline of the Year, Qatar Airways will provide passengers with a quality product and greater connectivity to destinations around the world."
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said, "We are delighted to debut our daily Sydney flights next March. The expansion of our Australia services will undoubtedly boost and strengthen the trade and commercial links that exist between Qatar and Australia, setting the stage for even more robust partnership opportunities in the near future. We look forward to carrying more travellers to and from Australia across our extensive global network and providing them with another world-class experience both on board and on ground at the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport in Doha."
Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase said the state's tourism and major events agency looks forward to developing a partnership with Qatar Airways on campaigns to grow business, education and holiday-maker visitation to Sydney and NSW.
"NSW is Australia's most geographically diverse state, with everything from red deserts in the Outback to ski fields in the Snowy Mountains, rainforests, rivers, World Heritage Blue Mountains, award-winning vineyards, over 2,000km of sparkling coastline and of course the unforgettable Sydney Harbour.
"It is also the major events capital of Australia, with Sydney hosting world-class events including Vivid Sydney, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, Sydney International Art Series, The Australian Open Golf and of course New Year's Eve and Australia Day celebrations.
"We look forward to welcoming more visitors to our state and working with our new airline partner Qatar Airways," Ms Chipchase said.
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