Qatar Airways to resume Dreamliner service

Qatar Airways has resumed its Boeing 787 services following a worldwide grounding of the aircraft in January 2013, after a fault was detected with the battery.

The airline’s first operated Boeing 787 flight took off from Doha to Dubai on Wednesday, following a ruling that the aircraft is safe to fly.

The aircraft will resume daily services on the London to Doha route on May 13th 2013.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker was the first passenger to board the airline’s reinstated Dreamliner 787, joined by President Boeing Middle East Jeffrey Johnson, Boeing’s Deputy Fleet Chief David Silver and a delegation of regional and international media.

Al Baker said: “I always said I would be the first to fly on Qatar Airways’ 787 once it returned to service, and I’m thrilled that our Dreamliner fleet is back in the skies, providing our passengers with an unparalleled level of service and comfort.

“After a setback that not only affected our own worldwide operations, but those of many carriers worldwide, we look forward to now deploying the Dreamliner on other key routes over the coming weeks.

“I have always hailed the Dreamliner as the state-of-the-art aircraft destined to change the way people travel and I was delighted to be on board our first 787 to take to the air again.

“Throughout the grounding of our fleet we have worked closely with Boeing to monitor the situation and work towards getting our fleet up and running again.

“Safety has always been the number one priority for Qatar Airways and I have full confidence in the safety and security of this aircraft.”

President Boeing Middle East, Jeffrey Johnson said: “Today’s flight is a tribute to the spirit of partnership, which led to the solution that made it possible.

"It is also testament to Qatar Airways’ continued support for the 787 Dreamliner program and to the strength of its relationship with Boeing.”

Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch scheduled flights to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Salalah, Oman (May 22nd); Basra, Iraq (June 3rd); Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (August 20th); and Chengdu, China (September 3rd), with many more start-ups to be announced.