Qatar Airways’ new international flight will add more than $600mn to Los Angeles economy in terms of supporting the city’s tourism sector and thousands of new jobs, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“It's exciting to see Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) take yet another step forward as it continues to extend its reach across the globe. I am pleased to welcome Qatar Airways' new service between LAX and Doha,” Garcetti said.

The first scheduled flight between LAX and Doha took off on January 1 with the full festivities scheduled for January 12. Qatar Airways hosted a celebratory launch gala at the world-famous Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, featuring prominent guests, lavish prize giveaways and a performance by global superstar Mariah Carey.

The new route comes as the airline continues to expand and enhance services across the country.

Los Angeles is the eighth US destination for Qatar Airways, with new services planned to Boston on March 16 and Atlanta on June 1 and a second daily flight scheduled to commence from New York’s JFK Airport in April.

In addition to new routes, the airline has brought the state-of-the-art Airbus A350 XWB to America, where it now flies a daily, non-stop service to and from Philadelphia.

“We are honoured Qatar Airways chose LAX as its US West Coast debut for this new, historic service,” said Los Angeles World Airports executive director Deborah Flint.

“This is the type of quality air service we want to keep attracting to LAX and Los Angeles.”

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker addressed international media at the Peninsula Beverly Hills following the commencement of a daily, non-stop service between LAX and Hamad International Airport in Doha.

Al-Baker praised the city of Los Angeles for helping to bring the airline to LAX and spoke about Qatar Airways’ ongoing growth and expansion in the United States and around the world.

“Los Angeles is one of the great centres of world aviation and will become a vital component in our expanding global network. We look forward to introducing Angelenos to our award-winning signature service, with access to more than 150 destinations around the world, through our central hub in Doha. Thank you to everyone who has made this historic route possible.”

In addition to greater choice for passengers, al-Baker also spoke about the increased cargo capacity made available by the new Los Angeles service.

He also announced a fourth weekly freighter will serve LAX starting January 19. Qatar Airways is the world’s third largest international cargo carrier and has served the Los Angeles market since 2015.

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