Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways Reduces Airbus A380 Service to Bangkok

Published

5 months ago

March 29, 2024

Admin

Qatar Airways Reduces Airbus A380 Service to Bangkok. In a significant development, Qatar Airways has decided to scale down its Airbus A380 service to Bangkok by half for the upcoming summer schedule. This decision marks a notable change in the airline’s approach towards its superjumbo fleet. Let’s delve into the details of this announcement.

Reduced Frequency for Airbus A380

Schedule data from Cirium reveals that Qatar Airways plans to operate its Airbus A380 aircraft only once daily on the Doha to Bangkok route starting in April 2024. This represents a significant reduction compared to the previously scheduled twice-daily A380 flights for the summer months. It is worth noting that just a week prior, the airline had filed plans to operate 120 monthly flights with the A380 between Doha and Bangkok. However, this number has now been halved to just 60 or 62 flights per month.

A History of A380 Service to Bangkok

During the summer season preceding this change, Qatar Airways operated double-daily A380 flights to Bangkok, a route that had previously been serviced by the Boeing 777-300ER. In the past, Qatar Airways had even offered triple daily A380 service between Doha and Bangkok, which was an impressive feat. However, the forthcoming summer schedule will see the fourth rotation on this route being completed by the Boeing 777, leaving just one A380 flight to the city.

A380 Action in Bangkok

While Qatar Airways is reducing its A380 presence in Bangkok, it doesn’t mean that the city will lack A380 flights altogether. Other carriers like Emirates and Asiana have plans to continue flying A380s to the Thai capital next summer. Emirates, in particular, will operate multiple A380 services to Bangkok each day.

Australia Continues to Welcome Daily Rotations

Despite a complicated relationship between Qatar Airways and Australian regulators, the airline will continue its daily rotations to Australian airports. Earlier this year, the Australian government rejected Qatar Airways’ application for more flights to the country, resulting in a dispute that reached the Australian Senate. The Senate declared the decision should be reviewed, but no significant progress has been made on this matter yet.

A Change in A380 Destinations

Fans of Qatar Airways’ A380 fleet may also notice a change in destinations. Paris Charles de Gaulle had begun seeing A380 service in July, operating four days per week. While it was initially expected to end this service for the winter season, current schedule data indicates that Qatar’s A380s will continue to serve the French capital with limited flights from November 2023 to March 2024, maintaining a three-times weekly schedule. However, starting in April 2024, it appears that Paris will no longer host the A380.

The Future of Qatar Airways A380 Fleet

Qatar Airways had initially grounded its A380 aircraft at the onset of the pandemic and expressed its intention to keep these planes out of service permanently. CEO Akbar al Baker even referred to the A380 as the airline’s “biggest mistake” in a 2021 interview. Nevertheless, Qatar Airways was compelled to bring back its A380s due to an extended dispute related to issues with Airbus A350s in its fleet.

The airline temporarily grounded some A350s, reportedly at the behest of its civil aviation authority, and the matter ended up in court in London. With the issue now resolved, Qatar Airways is proceeding with the repair and return to service of its damaged A350s and the acquisition of new models.

Conclusion

However, CEO Akbar al Baker maintains that the A380 has no long-term future with the carrier. As more A350s are received, the A380s will be phased out gradually over the course of a couple of years. At present, Qatar Airways has officially “ungrounded” eight A380s, though only seven are actively in service. Al Baker cites the eighth aircraft as a “spare,” highlighting the challenges in rapidly obtaining spare parts in the event of a technical issue with one of these large aircraft.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways Plans to Offer Complimentary Starlink Internet Details Yet to Be Disclosed

Published

5 months ago

March 29, 2024

Admin

Qatar Airways Plans to Offer Complimentary Starlink Internet Details Yet to Be Disclosed. In a recent development, Qatar Airways, a long-standing user of Inmarsat-now-Viasat Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band satellite-based inflight connectivity service, has indicated its intention to offer SpaceX’s Starlink Aviation onboard Internet to its passengers on a complimentary basis. This offering will be accessible to passengers with a simple “one-click” process.

Rollout on Specific Aircraft and Routes

According to an official press release from Qatar Airways, the low-latency In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) service will be introduced on “specific aircraft and routes.” The airline has also mentioned that they are currently in the pre-launch phase of the rollout strategy in collaboration with Starlink. SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Commercial Sales, Jonathan Hofeller, has expressed that Starlink is “set to support the entire Qatar Airways fleet.”

This news emerged following the APEX/IFSA Global EXPO event in Long Beach, where Qatar Airways Group’s Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. During this event, Starlink executives met with airline representatives in a nearby hotel.

Changing Landscape in In-Flight Connectivity

The Qatar Airways-Starlink collaboration signifies a shift in the in-flight connectivity landscape. Traditional GEO satellites are being challenged by Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink. For example, Flexjet has announced plans to replace the Viasat hardware on some of its aircraft with Starlink.

Viasat acquisition of Inmarsat, coupled with these changes, has led to some Inmarsat value-added resellers reevaluating their positions. SITA, a service provider to Qatar Airways, has already disclosed its intention to exit the cabin connectivity market by January 2025.

Seeking Clarity from Qatar Airways

Runway Girl Network reached out to Qatar Airways to seek clarification on several points. They inquired about:

Qatar Airways plan regarding the replacement of Inmarsat (now Viasat) GX inflight connectivity hardware with Starlink.
Whether Starlink will be deployed across Qatar Airways’ entire fleet.
Commencement dates for supplemental type certifications and Starlink installations.
Which aircraft type will be the first to receive the new hardware.
The impact of SITA’s decision to cease being a GX value-added reseller on Qatar Airways’ decision to select Starlink.
Qatar Airways’ plans for continuing to roll out Inmarsat GX on its 787-9s.

Qatar Airways Response

In response to these queries, a Qatar Airways spokesperson stated via email that they would keep Runway Girl Network updated on any future operational developments. In a follow-up exchange, when further clarity on the deal was sought, the spokesperson requested the removal of a specific phrase from their press release.

Implications and Future Plans

In the absence of comprehensive details, it seems logical for Qatar Airways to consider introducing Starlink initially on its 787-8s. This fleet has seen recent in-seat In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) upgrades but still lacks true broadband connectivity.

Once Starlink is operational on Qatar Airways aircraft, passengers can anticipate complimentary access to ultra-fast Wi-Fi speeds of up up to 350 Mbps, which can be used for various Internet-based services including video streaming, gaming, web browsing, and more. In contrast, the airline presently charges $10 for inflight access to its ‘Super Wi-Fi.

Conclusion

Qatar Airways, in its press release, also proudly asserts its position as “the largest airline to collaborate with Starlink.” Other notable Starlink customers include Part 135 operator JSX, Hawaiian Airlines (launch delayed until early next year), airBaltic, and ZIPAIR.