At the time when most of airlines around the globe are grounding their aircraft, Qatar Airways is taking thousands of stranded passengers to their home by continuing its operations. Qatar’s national carrier is operating around 130 daily flights to more than 60 cities worldwide.
Qatar Airways operated special charter flights to Muscat to take Omani students home from their studies abroad. The flights took place from March 30 to April 1. It brought back home Omani students travelling from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State of Qatar, Hans-Udo Muzel, has also expressed his gratitude to Qatar Airways for flying thousands of Germans from all over Asia to their homes in Germany at this crucial time, in spite of the challenges faced in the aviation industry posed by the global pandemic, flight cancellations and various airport closures.
Qatar Airways has already helped to repatriate Pakistani, Filipino, Indian, Swiss, American, British, Canadian and French citizens as charters were organised by their respective governments so that their citizens can return home to their families at this difficult time. In addition, it is ensuring that importers can maintain supplies of fresh produce and pharmaceuticals through Qatar Airways Cargo.
As an airline, Qatar Airways maintains the highest possible hygiene standards, which include the regular disinfection of aircraft, the use of cleaning products recommended by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and WHO.
Qatar Airways has revised its distribution of cabin crew on flights, sending two groups on short-haul and medium-haul flights – the first to manage the outbound trip, the second to manage the inbound trip. For long-haul flights, crew members who have to stay overnight in a foreign city can only travel in Qatar Airways-approved transport and must remain in their rooms, limiting human interactions.
In terms of passengers, Qatar Airways is encouraging social distancing where possible, especially on flights with lighter loads. Distancing is also implemented during the boarding process, ensuring passengers are allocated seats far apart from each other. The airline is also encouraging passengers to follow hygiene practices recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), such as regular hand washing and refraining from touching the face.
Qatar Airways’ aircraft feature the most advanced air filtration systems, equipped with industrial-size HEPA filters that remove 99.97% of viral and bacterial contaminants from re-circulated air, providing the most effective protection against infection.
