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Qatar

Qatar Airways fetes Chiang Mai service with gala dinner

Published: 17 Dec 2017 - 08:53 am | Last Updated: 17 Nov 2021 - 09:25 am
Minister of Transport and Communications, H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti (third right), and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker (second left), with other officials during the gala dinner.

Minister of Transport and Communications, H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti (third right), and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker (second left), with other officials during the gala dinner.

The Peninsula

Qatar Airways hosted a private gala dinner with influential business leaders, industry experts and heads of commerce to help complete the celebrations for the launch of its newest route to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The  dinner was attended by H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications for the State of Qatar, who hosted an array of trade and industry representatives, alongside Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker. 

The Thai Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum, travelled from Doha to Chiang Mai on the inaugural flight to participate in the prestigious occasion.

The private event also welcomed the Qatari Ambassador to Thailand, Jassem Al Thani, who travelled from Bangkok to be part of the Qatari delegation. Other representatives included leaders from the tourist industry, local businesses and major industry associations, representing companies from across Thailand.

Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications said: “Qatar Airways’ new route to Chiang Mai from Doha recognises the very important ties of friendship and commerce that exist between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Thailand. It is a relationship that will only grow stronger thanks to the launch of this new service and one which we are delighted to pay tribute to tonight. 

“Qatar is a nation that deeply understands and appreciates the importance of friendship between countries and their peoples. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the people of Thailand through the launch of this new connection.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “It has been an honour to mark the start of this, our new four-times-weekly service from Doha to Chiang Mai, in the company of so many illustrious guests, including so many important government officials, influential business leaders and heads of commerce.

“We have been warmly welcomed by the people of Chiang Mai who have come together to recognise the importance of our new route into Thailand’s second biggest city. I feel very confident this new route will prove fruitful for Qatar’s national flag carrier, for the people of Thailand and good for the significant tourism industry here. We look forward to working closely with all of the guests who joined us here at tonight’s event to cement the strong bonds that exist between the State of Qatar and Thailand.”

Chiang Mai is the airline’s fourth gateway into Thailand, continuing Qatar Airway’s rapid expansion into the country to meet the growing demand from tourists. The five-star airline is also to launch a fifth Thai destination to Pattaya on January 28, 2018.

As Thailand’s second largest city, Chiang Mai is famous for its relaxed lifestyle, attracting tens of thousands of visitors every year who travel from around the world to see its hundreds of ancient and beautiful temples, nearby rainforest reserves, stunning mountain scenery and peaceful country villages. 

The ever-growing tourist industry is just one reason so many international businesses have relocated to make Chiang Mai their home. Businesses have also taken advantage of the city’s excellent infrastructure, including direct international flight connections to all the major countries in the region, including flights with Qatar Airways’ codeshare partner, Bangkok Airways.

Qatar Airways, one of the fastest growing airlines in the history of aviation, will continue to expand its global network in 2018 by adding flights to Canberra, Australia; Penang, Malaysia, and Cardiff, UK, in the coming months.

Now celebrating its 20th successful year of operations, Qatar Airways has one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the world, with more than 200 aircraft flying to business and leisure destinations across six continents.

The award-winning airline has received a number of accolades this year, including ‘Airline of the Year’ by the prestigious 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards, which was held at the Paris Air Show. 

This is the fourth time that Qatar Airways has been given this global recognition as the world’s best airline. In addition to being voted ‘World’s Best Airline’ by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.’

Doha – Chiang Mai Flight Schedule: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday while Chiang Mai – Doha Flight Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.