Qatar Airways’ first non-stop flight from Doha to Gothenburg, Sweden landed earlier at Gothenburg Landvetter Airport, marking the airline’s second gateway into Sweden.

Qatar Airways flight 177 is operated by the state-of-the-art Boeing B787 Dreamliner.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are tremendously excited to launch direct services to the beautiful city of Gothenburg, a key new addition to our European network.

“This important new Nordic gateway will provide enhanced connectivity to both business and leisure travellers, and will help connect the Swedish people to our extensive global network of more than 160 destinations worldwide.

“We look forward to bringing visitors to Gothenburg, where they can experience for themselves the delights this charming city has to offer.”

As one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, Qatar Airways Cargo already has a large presence in the Nordics region, operating belly-hold flights to and from Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm, along with four weekly freighters from Oslo.

Chief executive of Swedavia, Jonaas Abrahamsson, said: “Sweden is Scandinavia’s biggest economy and one of Europe’s strongest economies.

“New direct routes are an important contributing factor, as improved market connectivity is crucial for Sweden’s tourism industry, business community, and for attracting investment and know-how to the region.

“We are very pleased that we at Swedavia, together with our regional partners, have been able to present to Qatar Airways the large market potential in the west of Sweden, resulting in the new direct route between Gothenburg and Doha.”

Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, offers a rich array of activities for visitors to enjoy, from taking a boat cruise along one of the port city’s many canals, to visiting the nearby Bohuslän islands, a vast archipelago featuring pine forests framing fjord-like lakes and inlets.