IT IS A CHRISTMAS OF GETTING AND GIVING AT QATAR AIRWAYS
(Posted 25th December 2014)
Hamad International Airport yesterday was a beehive of activity, as national airline Qatar Airways made history by receiving the first ever commercial delivery of the Airbus A350XWB. This latest ‘bird’ will bring with it the latest technology in light weight and composite materials production techniques, avionics and engines and is estimated to save some 25 percent in operating cost compared to similar sized aircraft of older generations. The new aircraft will be officially presented to the global aviation media at Hamad International in early January before entering service with regular flights to Frankfurt. This is the first of an initial order of 80 such aircraft which makes Qatar Airways not only the global launch airline but also Airbus’ largest customer for this aircraft type.
Luxuriously configured in a 1 x 2 x 1 layout in QR’s award winning Business Class does this give premium passengers as massive feeling of space, which in the Economy Class section the layout of 3 x 3 x 3 is equally providing passengers with unprecedented space.
On the same day did Qatar Airways receive their fourth Airbus A380, this aircraft type configured in a three class layout of First, Business and Economy and equipped to meet all the expectation passengers have from a 5 star airline.
Meanwhile, in the spirit of giving, has Qatar Airways come up with a remarkable initiative for Africa, details of which can be seen on the following YouTube clip http://youtu.be/ICVwfmY1wSA
The airline has, coinciding with the Christmas season, announced its partnership with Aspire Academy to support this year’s edition of the Aspire Football Dreams project by forming ‘Qatar Airways & Aspire Academy – Football Dreams Africa’.
Aspire Football Dreams is a fascinating and unique project aimed at empowering the development of youth by identifying and training young football talent. As part of the Football Dreams project this year, Aspire Academy has begun scouting for football talent in Africa. Once selected, finalists will be offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train in Barcelona and play a friendly game against one of the world’s most popular football clubs FC Barcelona’s youth team.
As FC Barcelona’s global main sponsor, Qatar Airways has been associated with a series of initiatives involving the world-renowned football team in order to spread the love of football to all corners of the world. Football Dreams Africa is the latest initiative that will offer talented young footballers in Africa dedicated training and a memorable experience of playing with one of the world’s best football teams.
Commenting on the partnership with Aspire Academy did the Qatar Airways CEO Mr. Akbar Al Baker say: ‘Qatar Airways has a proud tradition of supporting meaningful socially relevant initiatives and we believe that the Qatar Airways & Aspire Academy – Football Dreams Africa project is an excellent opportunity to make the dreams of young footballers in Africa come true. We aim to use this project as a platform to nurture budding football talent and highlight the effectiveness of sports as a key development tool’.
Javier Faus, First Vice President and Head of FC Barcelona’s Finance and Strategy Department, said: ‘This is one more example of the projects resulting from our sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways. Through this joint initiative with Aspire and Qatar Airways, Barça is offering the possibility for young footballers, in this case from the African continent, to be able to enjoy a unique experience and, at the same time, is reasserting its commitment to sport as a part of education’.
To support this unique initiative, Qatar Airways welcomes fans to support the Football Dreams Africa programme by registering at www.qatarairways.com/footballdreamsafrica. All registered supporters will be entered into a draw, and Qatar Airways will be offering 20 lucky winners tickets to Barcelona in addition to a tour of FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium.
Qatar Airways presently flies daily to Entebbe and on to Kigali while also serving Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro International Airport serving all these destinations with an Airbus A320.
