Qatar Airways

[aviatorconcorde]

There was an event at the St Davids Hotel this morning. It's possible they used that again or maybe the City Hall.

It's actually at the museum just over from the castle.

 

[Jerry]

It's actually at the museum just over from the castle.

I remember seeing a photo of the museum in Qatar Airways colours and banners for the launch.

 

[Jerry]

Copy of an article about Qatar Airways and the new Cardiff route from the Times. Not exactly complimentary about Wales and Cardiff Airport but it is good advertisement for the route.
https://twitter.com/SuttonCardiff/status/991971929706979328

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Copy of an article about Qatar Airways and the new Cardiff route from the Times. Not exactly complimentary about Wales and Cardiff Airport but it is good advertisement for the route.
https://twitter.com/SuttonCardiff/status/991971929706979328

It didn't seem too bad to me, they seemed to take it as an opportunity to talk about the Saudi blockade and brexit.

The fact that this route is out of the blue and in some peoples view "random" has given it a fair bit of exposure!

 

[Jerry]

The fact that this route is out of the blue and in some peoples view "random" has given it a fair bit of exposure!

Which is all good! In the end it is a nice bit of advertisement for the route in a national paper!

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

Qatar Airways advertising during Coronation Street last night.

 

[Jerry]

Great video from Qatar Airways!

 

[Foxlimayankee]

I can't help but think there's so much more to this route than originally thought with a ME3 Airline and a bit of economic interest. Given the level of involvement QR's CEO has had, the coverage of it and things that are slowly coming out in the media;
- Cardiff 5* hotel investment
- QR CEO saying not to privatise the Airport
- Marketing and promotion not just by the WG and CWL, but QR too.
I have a feeling there's more things to come for Wales, not just CWL

 

[Jerry]

I can't help but think there's so much more to this route than originally thought with a ME3 Airline and a bit of economic interest. Given the level of involvement QR's CEO has had, the coverage of it and things that are slowly coming out in the media;
- Cardiff 5* hotel investment
- QR CEO saying not to privatise the Airport
- Marketing and promotion not just by the WG and CWL, but QR too.
I have a feeling there's more things to come for Wales, not just CWL

I do feel there are a lot of investment opportunities in Wales for Qatar as a whole not too mention in the future more freight and if that takes off i wouldn't be surprised to see dedicated freighter aircraft now and then maybe even operating to the US.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

I can't help but think there's so much more to this route than originally thought with a ME3 Airline and a bit of economic interest. Given the level of involvement QR's CEO has had, the coverage of it and things that are slowly coming out in the media;
- Cardiff 5* hotel investment
- QR CEO saying not to privatise the Airport
- Marketing and promotion not just by the WG and CWL, but QR too.
I have a feeling there's more things to come for Wales, not just CWL

Don’t forget the Qataris own the Gas terminal in Milford Haven. That should help fill the pointy end of the plane.

Dedicated freighter ops would be nice, there’s certainly the capacity for it, but is the runway long enough as point out to me before.

I wonder if Mr Al Baker is flying back to Qatar on tomorrows service. He’s a Non Executive director for Heathrow Airport so he may have other things to do!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Copy of an article about Qatar Airways and the new Cardiff route from the Times. Not exactly complimentary about Wales and Cardiff Airport but it is good advertisement for the route.
https://twitter.com/SuttonCardiff/status/991971929706979328

I'm still baffled as to how Mr Al Baker arrives at a bigger catchment for CWL than BRS. He seems to be the only airline CEO who thinks that and the 8 mppa versus 1.5 mppa appears a persuasive argument to the contrary. Where does he get the 6.4 million CWL catchment from? The entire population of Wales is only about half that. He must be talking about the West of England/South West providing the other half and yet he suggests that BRS punters have other airports (which they have) and that was one of the reasons why he didn't go to BRS, so why does he think they would use CWL if he thinks they wouldn't use BRS?

I understand the freight argument and I understand that Qatar might not want to use their 787-8s at Lulsgate although TUI takes a different view and on longer journeys.

I also know that many Bristol region punters do use LHR automatically for long haul and I'm talking about inbound travellers as well as outbound. The Bristol region benefits from being at the western end of the M4 corridor which to an extent rides its prosperity on the back of LHR when it comes to business travel and attracting overseas investment.

Some of his reasons for choosing CWL seem sound but when he drifts off into flights of fancy about catchments I do wonder who was advising him on those points.

On another matter, the opening of the CWL route was acocmpanied by dinners and other events at both ends of the route. Is this normal when Qatar opens a new route?

 

[aviatorconcorde]

I'm still baffled as to how Mr Al Baker arrives at a bigger catchment for CWL than BRS. He seems to be the only airline CEO who thinks that and the 8 mppa versus 1.5 mppa appears a persuasive argument to the contrary. Where does he get the 6.4 million CWL catchment from? The entire population of Wales is only about half that. He must be talking about the West of England/South West providing the other half and yet he suggests that BRS punters have other airports (which they have) and that was one of the reasons why he didn't go to BRS, so why does he think they would use CWL if he thinks they wouldn't use BRS?

I understand the freight argument and I understand that Qatar might not want to use their 787-8s at Lulsgate although TUI takes a different view and on longer journeys.

I also know that many Bristol region punters do use LHR automatically for long haul and I'm talking about inbound travellers as well as outbound. The Bristol region benefits from being at the western end of the M4 corridor which to an extent rides its prosperity on the back of LHR when it comes to business travel and attracting overseas investment.

Some of his reasons for choosing CWL seem sound but when he drifts off into flights of fancy about catchments I do wonder who was advising him on those points.

On another matter, the opening of the CWL route was acocmpanied by dinners and other events at both ends of the route. Is this normal when Qatar opens a new route?

I too wonder where he got the catchment figures from. Perhaps 2 hours driving distance of CWL? You can cover Bristol and a fair chunk of the southwest in that area.

With the dinners and all that, I doubt it. The Welsh Government probably wanted to put on the hospitality. I can’t remember a big as fanfare as this when Qatar have launched a new route but perhaps I haven’t been looking in the right places/paying enough attention.

 

[Jerry]

Where does he get the 6.4 million CWL catchment from?

I think he's including the whole of South Wales and the South West.

On another matter, the opening of the CWL route was acocmpanied by dinners and other events at both ends of the route. Is this normal when Qatar opens a new route?

Probably only when they deal with governments like the Welsh government that want to make a fanfare out of it!

 

[aviatorconcorde]

"Your Heathrow" on twitter has re-tweeted a tweet about the new DOH route to CWL and said something about CWL being LHR's strategic partner. I'm sure i remember something about this previous but i'm not sure what strategic partnership CWL and LHR are currently sharing.

 

[Jerry]

"Your Heathrow" on twitter has re-tweeted a tweet about the new DOH route to CWL and said something about CWL being LHR's strategic partner. I'm sure i remember something about this previous but i'm not sure what strategic partnership CWL and LHR are currently sharing.

There was a strategic partnership signed between the Welsh government and Heathrow to do with the expansion with the extra runway, didn't know it included the airport. If i remember correctly Qatar Airways have shares in Heathrow.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/busin...partnership-between-welsh-government-12695511

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Heathrow embarked on a nationwide programme last year to secure suppliers and strategic partners to develop the airport, with particular reference to the new proposed runway. It was not just countries/regions of the UK. NATS for example became a strategic partner.

 

[Jerry]

First runway 12 landing for Qatar today!

 

[Tinkerman]

Just flew directly over my house !

Nearly as fascinating as seeing it up close and personal at the launch this week.

 

[Jerry]

Just flew directly over my house !

Nearly as fascinating as seeing it up close and personal at the launch this week.

It flew over my house yesterday afternoon on its way back to Doha but i couldn't see it because of the cloud!

 

[Jonathan]

Copy of an article about Qatar Airways and the new Cardiff route from the Times. Not exactly complimentary about Wales and Cardiff Airport but it is good advertisement for the route.
https://twitter.com/SuttonCardiff/status/991971929706979328

Interesting article, particularly when the author discusses there being a rumour about Qatar Airways wanting to develop Cardiff Airport into a US-hub. This makes complete sense due to capacity issues at Heathrow - does Qatar operate any flights to the US or might they look to one of their partners to do so from Cardiff?

Qatar might see Cardiff as their opportunity to get a slice of the transatlantic pie.