Qatar Airways will boost services to Thailand with the introduction of non-stop flights to Phuket, effective October 26th, 2014.

The airline currently serves the Doha – Phuket route daily via a linked service through the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Qatar Airways chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “The start of non-stop services from Doha to Phuket offers travellers from around the world access to the popular tourist destination in a reduced time, from across our expanding global network.

“With the upcoming winter holidays, this is a great opportunity for travellers from the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas to plan their break with a beach vacation to Phuket.

“Visitor numbers to Phuket are on the rise and Qatar Airways will look to take advantage of the non-stop connections to the city in the days to come,” he said.

The direct flights to Phuket will be operated with an Airbus A330 in a two class-configuration of 24 seats in Business Class and 236 in Economy.

Passengers can look forward to exceptional levels of comfort and Qatar Airways’ renowned award-winning Five Star hospitality.

Qatar Airways started operations in Thailand more than 14 years ago with non-stop flights linking Doha with Bangkok.

The carrier now serves the Thai capital three-times-daily and will increase that to four-times-daily from December 16th, 2014.

Qatar Airways launched daily flights from Doha to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur in 2010.

The new non-stop service from October 26th will facilitate shorter travel times for the growing number of tourists to Phuket and for those heading out of Thailand.

Europe is a particularly strong growth visitor market for Phuket with the UK, Russia, Germany, France and Italy among the top five feeder markets.

This makes Doha a strategic linking point for long-haul trips, thanks to the opening of the world’s newest aviation hub, the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport.

Passengers travelling from European cities to Phuket can relax, unwind, and freshen up in the modern world-class facility before they connect to Phuket.

“A dedicated non-stop Phuket service will help meet the growing demand the airline has for this particular destination.

“Moreover, Europe is an extremely popular destination for a number of Thailand-based locals as well.

“We are therefore very pleased to be able to continue to offer more options to those looking to travel with us and enjoy our award-winning five-star service,” added Al Baker.