Qatar Airways launches flights to Thessaloniki, Greece
Qatar Airways’ first flight to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, touched down at Thessaloniki International Airport ‘Makedonia’ yesterday. The airline’s Airbus A320 was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute, followed by welcome ceremony for VIP delegates. The new four times-weekly service from Doha to Greece commenced just one month ahead of the launch of its third destination in Greece, the beautiful island of Mykonos.
“Qatar Airways’ new service to Thessaloniki will help reinforce links between the State of Qatar and Greece, and deepen the friendship and co-operation between our two great countries. Our second gateway in Greece, Thessaloniki is a major tourist destination all year round offering access to some of Greece’s most famous resorts. We are delighted to support Greece’s tourism industry by providing more global travellers the opportunity to visit this iconic city,” said Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive.
The VIP delegation on board the flight, led by Qatar Airways Group representative, Captain Jassim Al-Haroon, Vice President Operations Amiri Flight, included H.E. Mr. Constantinos Orphanides, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic in State of Qatar, and was welcomed by H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Naama, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Hellenic Republic; Mr. Yiannis Boutaris, Mayor of Thessaloniki; and Fraport Greece Executive Director of Commercial and Business Development, Mr. George Vilos.
“I am delighted to welcome Qatar Airways to Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport and the first ever-scheduled flights to and from Thessaloniki and Doha. The decision by our new airline partner, Qatar Airways, is a clear indication of the Thessaloniki ‘Makedonia’ Airport growth potential. Passengers from Northern Greece and the Balkans can now benefit from direct flights linking Thessaloniki with the international hub of Doha and beyond. We look forward to working closely with Qatar Airways and support them in ensuring the success of the new route,” said Alexander Zinell, Fraport Greece Chief Executive Officer.
The new gateway will connect Thessaloniki to Qatar Airways’ global network, through its state-of-the-art hub in Doha, to more than 150 business and leisure destinations including Qatar, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Vietnam. In 2018-19, Qatar Airways will be adding many more exciting new destinations to its network, including London Gatwick and Cardiff, United Kingdom; Lisbon, Portugal; Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum, Antalya and Hatay, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece and Malaga, Spain.
The Doha – Thessaloniki flight will run on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sundays. The flight will depart from Doha (DOH) to Thessaloniki (SKG) QR205 07:40 and will arrive at 12:50. The return flight will depart from Thessaloniki (SKG) to Doha (DOH) to QR206 at 13:50 and will arrive at 18:40.