Qatar Airways will begin flying to Adelaide in early May 2016 using its flagship Airbus A350, just two months after it launches into Sydney.
The daily schedule will represent Australia's first Airbus A350 service. The Oneworld member airline already flies the advanced fuel-efficient A350 from its hub at Doha to Frankfurt and Singapore.
Flight report: On board Qatar Airways' first Airbus A350-900
Qatar's Airbus A350 features 36 spacious lie-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Each set converts to an 80 inch fully flat bed and has its own 17 inch high-definition personal video screen.
Photo tour: Qatar Airbus A350 business class
Further along the plane are 247 economy seats of up to 32 inch pitch in a 3-3-3- arrangement.
Flight QR914 from Doha will depart at 8.55pm, arriving into Adelaide at 4.25pm the following day.
The return leg QR915 will be wheels-up from Adelaide at 9:.30pm and reach Doha at 04.50am the next day, with onwards connections to the Europe and the UK.
Qatar already flies to Melbourne and Perth, with Sydney joining the network on March 1st.
"2016 is going to be yet another exciting year for Qatar Airways and we are very pleased that Australia will figure prominently in our expansion plans with the launch of flights to Sydney from March 1 and Adelaide from May 2 to further strengthen our operations in the country," commented Qatar Airways CEO, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, on the new route.
Photo tour: Qatar Airbus A350 business class
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Oct 2013
Total posts 111
yay - competition on the route with emirates - good news!
12 Jan 2016
Total posts 13
Thank goodness. Old 777 planes from ADL on EK. Hard seats and a joke of a bus ride once you land in DXB just to get to the terminal. EK/QF need to up their second-rate game.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Dec 2014
Total posts 25
Wow that's great - surely Brisbane to follow!
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
Whilst that logically makes sense, the Australian Government & Qatar just increased the traffic rights between the 2 countries to 21 flights. Whilst these can increase again (and probably will), it won't be in the immediate future.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
BNE (or more flights to PER/MEL/SYD) won't happen without a change to the existing PER/MEL/SYD flights or adding more traffic rights.
The standard air service agreements with Australia limit flights (or seats) to the major airports (PER/MEL/BNE/SYD) while other ports (eg, ADL, OOL, CNS, CBR, etc) are unlimited.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Feb 2013
Total posts 54
Qatar are getting serious about the Australian market now. But the air services agreement doesn't allow them any more services (after Sydney starts on 1 March) to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. Perhaps its time to get creative and collaborate with a partner that does have the rights. They could start with a codeshare on a British Airways London-Doha-Brisbane service.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 501
I can't help but imagine if QF went with AR instead of EK, it just sounds so much better in every way.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Jan 2012
Total posts 172
I assume that was a typo and you mean QR (Qatar Airways) and not AR (Aerolineas Argentinas)?
EK certainly have the more superior network, but with QR being a fellow oneworld airline you would have thought it a consideration. Dubai also does also have more appeal as a stopover location than Doha.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 388
Is there anymore expansion allowed under there air services agreement? If not, there is no chance of BNE unless the government increase there limit.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Oct 2015
Total posts 1
Surely EY would be next to service ADL??
Qantas
13 Jun 2015
Total posts 139
Wowee! Good news for Adelaide people! First Australian Destination to use the A350!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2014
Total posts 112
I understand they could go into OOL under current agreement.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1250
Only restricted at SYD, MEL, BNE and PER. Can fly into any other port.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Feb 2013
Total posts 54
I assume the agreement also allows Qatar, as many other agreements do, to fly beyond any other Australian airport into SYD, MEL, PER and BNE.
If so they could do DOH-ADL-MEL to provide additional frequency at MEL, DOH-CBR-SYD, or DOH-CNS-BNE.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 439
Did NOT see that coming! Well done Adelaide.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Dec 2014
Total posts 284
POOOOO!!! NOT TO SYD!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2014
Total posts 112
SYD services start 1 March 2015, previously announced.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jan 2014
Total posts 340
I think Tom is talking about the A350, since Sydney will be getting the older B77W and it's more dated seating layout.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 501
This is how you get paid for not whining about not getting routes.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Mar 2015
Total posts 54
Yep, take note people of Perth
06 Feb 2014
Total posts 113
Yes, no critique of Qatar Airways, they saw the potential of Perth and served it second after Melbourne. If only that other national airline that's starts with a Q had the same foresight. But this website still hasn't repirted Malindo Air starting 11x Perth - KL...we perthites probably just get sick of Sydney Sydney and more Sydney.
Qatar Airways
04 Apr 2014
Total posts 25
I think it's fair to say that the 2 Q's have different PnL considerations.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2011
Total posts 359
Thats because Malindo is not worth talking about
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 439
Might not be the entire reason, but this is Australian BUSINESS traveller and Malindo is a low cost airline. I know Jetstar gets a mention regularly, but maybe thats the reason...?
30 Mar 2012
Total posts 13
Hey GgFlyer , give us a break. Not all Perth people are whingers. I think you would find it is a very small minority who seem to like to be heard.
Personally, I think we are pretty well serviced
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 276
Wow lucky Adelaider's!
I've been jumping at a chance to try the A350 - this is the closest we'll get for now I believe.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
11 Mar 2015
Total posts 190
the best news for years for all Adelaide residents-finally a true 5 star airline with proper business seats not the cramped and angle flat seats like emirates pushes for over rated prices finally a true competition for them-I certainly swith to Qatar when they start also much better airport and connection-Dubai is the pits by now-all adelaide flight are parked aftre arrival in the sahara and takes 25-35 minbuted to bus it to the terminal than the connecting flight if not on a 380 does the same-the business lounges are so full despite the huge size that in the morning you can hardly manage to find a quiet place-congratulation to Qatar to this gift to Adelaide and hope that Emirates will improve it's game if they want to compete.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2015
Total posts 1
This is great news from Qatar Airways. Travel to Australia has increased significantly in price and now schools are relucant to bring in expats from Australia due to the high cost of airfares so competition is a great thing. What a shame Qatar only flies from Lagos which is a hell of a place to fly from to anywhere in the world. I would love them to investigate flying from Abuja which is the capital of Nigeria! David whilst you are having your coffee please help me with a couple of suggestions as to where I could live for 2 weeks whilst I am waitng to visit friends in South Africia in December. I need to leave Nigeria and Dubai is too expensive so I was thinking of Thailand but that is going the wrong way so anywhere you can advise me I would be grateful. Keep up the great reading with BT. Catherine Blackmore Abuja Nigeria
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 May 2015
Total posts 54
Is really weird how they are just putting the newest aircraft on the route, surely the A350 would be better served and they should put on the 787-8...its slightly smaller. Anyway well done Adelaide.
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 3
Chap6595: When entering a new underserviced market then you give it your best. Everybody in Adelaide has abandoned QF as it has abadonned us. We are open to all takers. Qatar understands this, you do not.
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 3
There is no such thing as a Qantas international flight out of Adelaide anymore. Woo me Qatar, woo me Qatar.
29 Jan 2016
Total posts 3
By the way, what is wrong with a full load wherever it comes from. I just bought tickets on an airline that does not even fly to Adelaide yet and the loading is strong, try seat allocation. Why bother with Melbourne or Sydney? Leave them to the riff raff.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Sep 2013
Total posts 188
We've been saying the same thing from Perth for a number of years, and copping plenty of flack for doing so. Enjoy the service Adelaide.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Qatar to fly Airbus A350 to Adelaide from May 2016