DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways has announced it will introduce a fourth daily non-stop service from Doha to Colombo from 1 August, 2017. In addition two of the four daily flights will be serviced by the B777-300ER aircraft to accommodate the increased travel demand to and from Sri Lanka.

The increased frequency and aircraft upgauge will boost overall capacity to and from Colombo by 3,136 seats weekly, a 20 per cent increase from current weekly capacity.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to be able to cater to the buoyant leisure and business travel demand by increasing our frequency and capacity to Colombo, the gateway to Sri Lanka and one of the most vibrant cities in South Asia. Besides our acclaimed inflight service, our passengers can now also enjoy our modern B777 aircraft when they travel with us on our non-stop service to Doha and onward to destinations in Europe, Americas and the Middle East. The additional frequency will provide passengers with even greater flexibility and convenience when planning their next trip with Qatar Airways.”

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism Development the Hon. John Amaratunga said: “Tourism is expected to be one of Sri Lanka’s major growth engines as we seek to further strengthen our economy. Sri Lanka, Asia’s leading destination for 2017, has a wealth of places waiting for travellers to discover. With the support of major carriers like Qatar Airways which has invested additional capacity, we are confident that Sri Lanka can achieve the target of 2.5 million tourists this year.”

The Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER features 24 Business Class seats and 388 seats in Economy Class. Besides a spacious environment throughout the entire aircraft, passengers across both cabins can enjoy up to 3,000 entertainment options throughout their journey with Qatar Airways extensive Oryx One collections.

Business Class passengers can relax in their comfortable, fully-flat beds with 78 inches of seat pitch. The on-demand à la carte menu service, luxurious Bric’s amenity kits coupled with Qatar Airways cabin crew’s renowned Arabian hospitality will ensure passengers arrive at their destination feeling refreshed and energised.

Qatar Airways 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 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. Now in its twentieth year of operations, Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 200 aircraft flying to business and leisure destinations across six continents.