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| Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker (centre) at a press conference in Sofia following the launch of scheduled flights to the Bulgarian capital. He is flanked by the airline’s Vice-President (Europe) Paul Johannes (left) and Country Manager Greg Epps |
The recent launch of flights to Bulgaria’s capital city complements the airline’s earlier services to neighbouring Bucharest and Budapest with the Gulf carrier now flying to three strategic cities in the emerging part of Europe.
Highly underserved by long-haul international airlines, the central eastern European countries of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania have created a ‘formidable business opportunity’ for Qatar Airways in the space of just nine months, the airline said.
With four-flights-a-week operating between Doha and Sofia via Bucharest, and daily services linking the Qatari capital with Budapest, the national carrier now flies 10-times-a-week to three key cities within the region.
Bucharest was previously tagged with the airline’s Budapest services at the time of launch in January, but has now been switched to link up with Sofia. The Doha-Budapest flights now operate non-stop.
Qatar Airways now flies to 26 destinations across Europe. Sofia also becomes the fifth European route launched by Qatar Airways this year - together with Bucharest and Budapest, the others being Stuttgart and Venice. The European expansion drive continues next month with the launch of flights to the Norwegian capital Oslo.
Speaking in the Bulgarian capital yesterday, al-Baker said the airline had undergone ‘phenomenal expansion’ since the beginning of the year with 10 new destinations covering vibrant underserved markets in Europe, the Middle East, India and Canada.
Highlighting the latest route launch, he said: “Direct Qatar Airways’ flights from Sofia to Doha and beyond will give Bulgarian businesses and tourists the ideal gateway into key markets of eastbound destinations that we serve, offering convenient connections to numerous destinations including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, China and Australia.
“And travellers to Bulgaria will be given easier access to this market, which holds considerable potential for businesses, as well as tourism that Qatar Airways looks forward to tap into,” he said.
“Our rapid footprint in this part of Europe this year has given travellers to and from Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, much improved travel options to a wider market, avoiding the need to travel through congested European airports to get to their final decision.”
Bulgaria is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the region, offering a wide range of activities for visitors to experience, ranging from cultural and historical sightseeing, to the stunning beach hotels of the Black Sea and skiing facilities in the picturesque Pirin Mountains. The country has also been a popular health resort spot since Roman times due to the country’s abundance in healing mineral springs.