Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to Almaty in Kazakhstan has landed at Almaty International Airport, marking the launch of the airline’s newest gateway in central Asia.

Operated by an Airbus A320, flight QR0391 was welcomed with an opening ceremony attended by Qatar ambassador to Kazakhstan, Abdulaziz Sultan Al-Rumaihi.

Also on hand were Qatar Airways senior vice president eastern regions, Marwan Koleilat; chairman of Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan, Talgat Lastayev; president of Almaty International Airport, Alp Er Tunga Ersoy, and a host of airport and government officials from Kazakhstan.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to launch direct services to Almaty, which reflects the close relationship between the state of Qatar and Kazakhstan.

“Almaty is continuing to grow in popularity with our passengers for both business and leisure purposes, attracting travellers who wish to enjoy its rich culture, cuisine and natural scenery.

“This important new gateway will provide enhanced connectivity to both business and leisure travellers, and will help connect passengers from Kazakhstan to our extensive global network of more than 140 destinations worldwide.”

The new direct services to Almaty will feature 12 seats in business class and 120 seats in economy.

Ersoy said: “Citizens of Kazakhstan will enjoy using high-level service quality on board and can discover more than 140 destinations.

“Besides, we believe that this route will help to develop the relationship between the two countries not only in tourism but also economic and culture.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to the management of Qatar Airways for their effort to open this route during the Covid-19 pandemic.”