Qatar is ‘a fastest growing market for premium travel’

Lufthansa, which sees Qatar as “one of the fastest growing markets for premium travel in the GCC”, has recorded a steady passenger growth in the Doha-Frankfurt sector during the past few years.

A Lufthansa official described 2011 as “the most successful year for Europe’s leading carrier in Qatar”.

Last year, more than 70,000 passengers chose to fly with Lufthansa to and from Germany and beyond - an increase of more than 40% compared to 2011. Also, the number of arriving passengers who came to Doha on business or leisure purposes was in all time high and strengthened the Lufthansa service which operates on a daily basis with a modern Airbus A340 aircraft between Doha and Frankfurt.

“Qatar has developed as one of the fastest growing markets for premium travel in the GCC,” Carsten Schaeffer, Lufthansa vice president sales & service, South East Europe, Middle East and Africa, had said recently.

“Our growth numbers in First Class are especially impressive - the volume has nearly doubled within one year. This is a clear sign that our strategy to invest into brand new First and Business Class products as well as the world’s only dedicated First Class Terminal is paying off,” said Schaeffer.

“Meanwhile our ratings for the premium travel classes have developed more than positively - an innovative upgrade to our catering on board will be the next step.”

The German flag carrier is keen to expand its Doha service further. “A Doha-Munich service is an idea that appeals to us very much,” a senior Lufthansa official told Gulf Times. “There is huge potential for growth.”

Lufthansa operates more than 100 weekly flights to 13 destinations in the Middle East. In the GCC, besides Doha Lufthansa serves Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Muscat, Kuwait, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam from Frankfurt. In addition there are flights from Dubai, Jeddah and Riyadh to Munich, Lufthansa’s second hub.

Flights are operated with three-class Airbus A330/340 and Boeing 747 aircraft which are being re-fitted with the new First and Business Class which gives Lufthansa passengers the same, high end product experience over its whole fleet.

“Since we added Doha to our global network in January 2006, we have continuously grown this service with additional flights and larger aircraft,” Peter Pollak, Lufthansa’s general manager UAE and director Gulf, observed.

“Over this period of seven years, the capital of Qatar has become a strong pillar in our Middle Eastern network and Frankfurt a preferred hub for our customers,” added Pollak. “The fourth runway in Frankfurt and the new A pier with easy connections and five premium lounges have increased our overall punctuality and will push Frankfurt fast forward on its way to become the most efficient and reliable hub in Europe.”

In February this year, Lufthansa received the 5-Star laurels from Skytrax for its new First Class product. On board, the Skytrax rating system singled out the superb comfort of the First-Class cabin with ergonomically contoured seats, which convert into a fully flat, 2m-long bed.

Lufthansa’s First-Class cabin staff was awarded for their onboard service quality, which had lent an added note to the 5-Star rating and which had shown marked improvement over the past 12months. On top, the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt was praised for its exclusive personal assistant service and the unsurpassable food and spa selection

In total, the Lufthansa Group, which also consists of Austrian Airlines, Germanwings and SWISS, has reached a record number of more than 103mn passengers in 2012 which travelled to over 200 destinations in more than 80 countries. The group operates nearly 700 airplanes and has received and will still add over 160 new airplanes from 2012 till 2016, including the Airbus A380 and the new Boeing 747-8.