DOHA, Qatar – The first Qatar Airways non-stop flight from Doha to Sohar touched down today at Sohar Airport, inaugurating the award-winning airline’s newest destination in the Middle East, and its third destination in the Sultanate of Oman.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ehab Amin, who travelled on board the inaugural flight, was greeted by His Excellency Mr. Ali bin Fahd Al Hajri, Ambassador of Qatar in Oman, and officials from Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), including Chief Operations Officer, Mr. David Wilson; General Manager Commercial Operations, Sheikh Samer Ahmed Al Nabhani; General Manager Operations, Mr. Ali Zaid Al Balushi; General Manager Information and Communication Technology, Dr. Moaman Mohammed Al Busaidi and government officials of Al Batinah Governorate.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “We are delighted to add Sohar to our global route network. We launched services to the Sultanate of Oman nearly 17 years ago, and ever since, we have added additional frequencies on a yearly basis to accommodate demand for increased capacity to this charming country, known for its traditional culture and the warmth of the Omani people. Now passengers from Sohar will have the opportunity to experience our award-winning service, connecting them to a wide variety of popular summer holiday destinations.”

Sohar is a city known both for its traditional Omani culture and beautiful beaches. As the Sultanate of Oman’s largest city in the governorate of Northern Al Batinah and the country’s main shipping hub, this vibrant coastal city offers a range of tourist attractions and activities, in particular water sports such as diving, snorkelling and kite boarding. Shoppers will not want to miss the city’s souq, which offers traditional Omani handicrafts as well as leather goods, ceramics, perfumes, herbs and honey.

Oman Airports Management Company, Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Aiman bin Ahmed Al-Hosni said: “We are delighted to welcome Qatar Airways as a new strategic partner in Sohar, which plays a significant role in the Sultanate of Oman's business model, and is home to many successful projects implemented by the Omani Government.”

Sheikh Aiman bin Ahmed Al-Hosni added: "The new direct route between Doha and Sohar operated by Qatar Airways is a prestigious addition to the operations of Sohar Airport. We will ensure that all passengers have a seamless and convenient travel experience."

The airline will operate three weekly flights between Doha and Sohar, bringing the total capacity across Oman to 59 weekly flights. Qatar Airways first began service to the Sultanate of Oman by launching flights to the capital, Muscat in 2000. In 2013, Salalah was added to the airline’s growing network as the second destination in the Sultanate of Oman. The award-winning airline currently operates five daily flights between Doha and Muscat, and three daily return flights on the Doha-Salalah route.

The new route to Sohar will be served by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class.

The 2017 Airline of the Year, as awarded by Skytrax, has a host of exciting new destinations planned for the remainder of this year and 2018, including Canberra, Australia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; San Francisco, U.S.; and Santiago, Chile, to name a few.

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.

Flight Schedules:

Doha – Sohar

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

Doha (DOH) to Sohar (OHS) QR 1132 departs 13:35 arrives 16:10

Sohar (OHS) to Doha (DOH) QR 1133 departs 17:10 arrives 18:00