The forthcoming Arabian Travel Market, the biggest travel and tourism show in the Middle East, will provide Qatar Airways with an opportunity to showcase its newest routes and promote its new long-haul Business Class.

The award-winning airline will once again be exhibiting at the region’s premier travel trade event, being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre between May 3-6, 2005. And this year promises to be an event to remember as Qatar Airways will announce its route expansion programme as well as additional capacity in key markets for the summer and winter.

ATM attracts exhibitors from more than 50 countries worldwide, together with travel trade buyers and media from around the world. The event is held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and under the auspices of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, who will lead a delegation of airline officials from head office in Doha, said he was delighted that the airline was once again participating in the Middle East’s leading travel trade show.

“Arabian Travel Market last year was extremely successful and promises to be an even better show this week,” he said.

“Qatar Airways has developed into a well-known brand in the Middle East and increasingly, around the world, over the past few years. Our presence at global travel shows such as Arabian Travel Market is important to spread our message as an airline of choice.”
During the four-day show, Qatar Airways will highlight new routes launched from its operational hub of Doha, capital of the State of Qatar. These include Osaka, Johannesburg and Cape Town. New destinations of Tunis and Athens launched today, May 2, and Athens on June 15, will also be promoted. The Qatar Airways stand at ATM will have entertainment in the form of South African bongo players and Greek dancers. Japanese geisha girls will serve sushi to highlight Qatar Airways’ new four-times-a-week Osaka route launched in March.

In addition, visitors to Qatar Airways’ stand 725 in Hall 5 will be able to experience the airline’s new Business Class seats that have begun to be introduced throughout its long-haul fleet of Airbus A330s. Key features of the seats are that they offer plenty of personal space with electronic controls to help position the seat to suit individual comfort.

The Business Class seats provide:
60-inch pitch (55-inch on existing A330-200s)
2-2-2 configuration
Seats convert into two-metre bed length
15-inch personal LCD TV screens (50% bigger than on the A330-200)
Personal Audio Video On Demand entertainment system
Laptop power point
5 pre-programmed electronic seat controls (aircraft take-off, meal, upright
position, relax, sleeping)
Personal in-seat telephone
Seat position memory function
Back massage control functions
Seat design by Recaro, of Germany
Qatar Airways’ stand will be a unique design two-tier exhibit featuring a reception desk with seating area for meetings and presentations, together with a refreshment area where Qatar Airways cabin crew will be serving Arabic coffee and dates. On the upper deck there is a VIP area for meetings. The stand also has a 6 metre curved graphic feature wall in Qatar Airways’ corporate colours of burgundy and grey.

Added Al Baker: “Qatar Airways is growing at a phenomenal pace opening up new routes and adding new and modern aircraft every year.”

“Attending Arabian Travel Market gives us an opportunity to network with other trade and business partners and showcase our new routes and products.”

Qatar Airways currently operates scheduled flights from Doha to 62 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and the Far East.
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