Qatar Airways will operate the world’s first fully Covid-19 vaccinated flight this morning, carrying only vaccinated crew and passengers on board. The check-in staff at Hamad International airport will also be fully vaccinated.
Flight QR6421 will depart Hamad International airport at 1100 and return to Doha at 1400. The flight will be operated by the airline’s sustainable A350-1000 aircraft, and will be fully carbon offset.
The aircraft will also feature the carrier’s latest ‘Zero-Touch’ IFE technology, allowing passengers to control the seatback system via their personal devices, while guests will be able to livestream the flight experience via the airline’s wifi.
Airlines including Emirates, Etihad and Singapore Airlines have operated flights on which all crew are fully vaccinated. Emirates has also recently announced plans for a special A380 flight on April 10, on which all crew and passengers will be fully vaccinated.
Commenting on the news Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said:
“Today’s special flight demonstrates the next stage in the recovery of international travel is not far away. We are proud to continue leading the industry by operating the first flight with a fully vaccinated crew and passengers and providing a beacon of hope for the future of international aviation. With aviation being a critical economic driver both globally and here in the State of Qatar, we are thankful for the support we have received from our government and local health authorities to vaccinate our staff, with over 1,000 vaccinations being administered per day.”
This news comes after the airline announced that it had rebuilt its international network to over 1,200 weekly flights to more than 140 destinations this summer.
The airline also stated that it has helped transport more than 500,000 tonnes of medical supplies and delivered close to 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to over 20 countries.
Qatar Airways recently became the first airline in the Middle East to trial the IATA Travel Pass digital health passport app, enabling passengers to receive Covid-19 test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their journey through an ‘OK to Travel’ status.
