Qatar Airways has resumed service from London’s Gatwick airport, as it continues to rebuild its UK network.
The Gulf carrier will offer three weekly flights from London Gatwick, with the route operated by a B787 Dreamliner aircraft configured for 22 seats in business class and 232 in economy.
Alongside this, the airline has scheduled four daily flights from London Heathrow, three daily flights from Manchester, and three weekly flights from Edinburgh throughout December. The resumption of the Gatwick route will see the airline’s network expand to a total of 55 weekly flights to four UK gateways.
Commenting on the news, Qatar Airways UK and Ireland Country Manager Gary Kershaw said:
“We are delighted to resume our flights to London Gatwick, further cementing our position as the leading international carrier providing connectivity to the UK. The resumption of London Gatwick services is a significant indicator of the resilience of the UK travel market, and we look forward to resuming more of our UK destinations to support the recovery of tourism and trade in the region.”
Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations at Gatwick Airport, added:
“We are delighted to welcome Qatar Airways back to Gatwick after the second national lockdown. It’s great for passengers that Gatwick and Qatar Airways can offer the opportunity to fly to Doha – and onwards to destinations across Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East – at this time of year, when people are looking to reunite with family and friends after what has been an incredibly challenging period.
“Alongside our airlines, Gatwick has implemented a number of extra measures to keep both passengers and staff as safe as possible travelling through Gatwick, helping to rebuild public confidence in air travel.”
Business Traveller previously reported on the airline’s initial plan to restart flights from London Gatwick in August. We have reached out to Qatar Airways for comment.
Qatar Airways has been gradually rebuilding its network following the coronavirus pandemic, and plans to rebuild its network to 126 destinations by the end of March 2021.
