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Qatar Airways announces investment in JetSuite, Inc.

International aviation leader joins JetBlue Airways and private investors in fueling the future of private and semiprivate aviation.

DOHA, QATAR – Qatar Airways, the national airline of the State of Qatar and one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, and JetSuite, Inc., a leading U.S. private aviation company, announced today in the presence of the Qatari Minister of Finance and Chairman of Qatar Airways, His Excellency Mr. Ali Sharif Al Emadi, that Qatar Airways has taken a minority stake in JetSuite, Inc. and indirectly in JetSuiteX, Inc. Qatar Airways joins JetBlue Airways, which will be increasing its investment, and a number of private investors as stakeholders in both JetSuite and JetSuiteX.

With this investment in JetSuite, Inc., Qatar Airways will help fuel the growth of JetSuite’s private aviation business, which currently focuses on light and very light jets. The investment extends to JetSuiteX, the sibling company to JetSuite, further accelerating the expansion of its acclaimed semi-private air service on the U.S. West Coast and beyond. JetSuiteX fills a niche in underserved short haul markets and small airports, and enjoys a Net Promoter Score over 90, higher than the major U.S. airlines. JetSuiteX operates its fleet of Embraer 135 aircraft from private terminals in California and Nevada, with no lines, no waiting and no stress, at a price competitive with commercial travel. The Qatar Airways investment will enable faster expansion of this fleet and the ability to reach new destinations, including the potential to bring the semi-private model to additional U.S. regions.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to invest in such unique business as JetSuite and JetSuiteX; we believe that both businesses are complementary to Qatar Airways’ business and maintain the core values and customer focus of our own business. We believe that JetSuite and JetSuiteX deliver a truly class-leading service to the U.S. market with a huge potential for development, and we are very excited to invest in this opportunity alongside JetBlue and the other investors.”

“As an innovator in private aviation, we are proud to have attracted the attention of one of the world’s highest rated and fastest growing airlines,” said Mr. Alex Wilcox, Founder and CEO of JetSuite and JetSuiteX. “Qatar Airways shares our focus on customers and product. JetBlue and Qatar Airways together are a dream team of investors, and they will allow us to execute our vision of offering a superior service to the forgotten short haul U.S. air market even more quickly.”

“JetSuite’s innovative JetSuiteX service and customer-focused approach aligns perfectly with our values at JetBlue, which is why we are so pleased that our partners at Qatar Airways are joining us in supporting this venture,” said Mr. Robin Hayes, President and CEO, JetBlue. “We look forward to seeing JetSuite further grow on the West Coast and beyond to bring additional air travel choices to customers in underserved markets.”

This investment further supports Qatar Airways’ investment strategy, which already includes minority investments in several other international carriers, such as International Airlines Group, LATAM Airlines Group, Cathay Pacific and Air Italy.

Qatar Airways Announces Relaunch of Operations To Erbil and Sulaymaniyah In Republic of Iraq
Also Qatar Airways announced that it has resumed service to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, two important Iraqi destinations. The airline previously suspended service to both routes in November 2017, per the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority’s directive to all international carriers at the time.

The award-winning airline now operates seven weekly flights to each destination. From 1 May, the airline will further boost its service to Erbil with double daily flights

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Erbil and Sulaymaniyah have always been two important destinations in the Republic of Iraq, in addition to Baghdad, the capital city, as well as Najaf and Basra. With an abundance of history to unearth at each location, we are pleased to be relaunching our award-winning service to both of these destinations, offering our passengers yet again a multitude of choice within the Republic of Iraq.”

Qatar Airways operates an Airbus A320 aircraft to both Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, which features 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class. Passengers will be able to enjoy the airline’s superior entertainment system, offering a wide variety of entertainment options, including the latest blockbuster movies, TV shows, music and games.

Qatar Airways serves five destinations in the Republic of Iraq. The airline first began flights to Erbil in 2012, followed by the capital Baghdad, Najaf, Basra and Sulaymaniyah.

Qatar Airways enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2017, claiming more than 50 individual awards across multiple categories, demonstrating its continued commitment to exceeding passenger expectations with its innovative approach to product development and dedication to customer experience.

Leading the host of awards received by the airline last year is the prestigious accolade of 2017 ‘Airline of the Year,’ awarded by the 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. In addition to being voted 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’.

Last month, Qatar Airways revealed a host of forthcoming global destinations in line with its expedited expansion plans, including the announcement that it will be the first Gulf carrier to begin direct service to Luxembourg. Other exciting new destinations to be launched by the airline include London Gatwick and Cardiff, United Kingdom; Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum and Antalya, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece and Malaga, Spain.

Co-Founder & Chief Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | Website | + Posts

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

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