Qatar Airways continues to lead the recovery of international travel, operating the world’s first fully Covid-19 vaccinated flight on Tuesday.
The special flight, QR6421, departed from Hamad International Airport (HIA) at 11:00am carrying only vaccinated crew and passengers onboard, with passengers also to be served by fully vaccinated staff at check-in.
It returned to Doha at 2pm and showcased all the measures the airline has put in place to ensure the highest standards of safety and hygiene on board, including its latest innovation -- the world’s first “Zero-Touch” in-flight entertainment technology.
The special service was operated by the airline’s most technologically advanced and sustainable aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000, with the flight also fully carbon offset in line with the carrier’s environmental responsibilities.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “Today’s (Tuesday) special flight demonstrates the next stage in the recovery of international travel is not far away. We are proud to continue leading the industry by operating the first flight with a fully vaccinated crew and passengers and providing a beacon of hope for the future of international aviation.
“With aviation being a critical economic driver both globally and here in the State of Qatar, we are thankful for the support we have received from our government and local health authorities to vaccinate our staff, with over 1,000 vaccinations being administered per day.
“Qatar Airways Cargo has also played a vital role in maintaining a reliable schedule across our network of destinations. Since the onset of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has helped transport more than 500,000 tons of medical supplies and delivered close to 20,000,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to over 20 countries,” he added.
To show its gratitude to those who have played key roles throughout the pandemic, Qatar Airways gave away 100,000 complimentary return tickets to healthcare workers and 21,000 to teachers around the world in 2020.
Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star Covid- 19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organization, Skytrax.
It is the first airline in the Middle East to begin trials of the innovative new IATA Travel Pass “Digital Passport” mobile app.
IATA Travel Pass ensures passengers receive up-to-date information on Covid-19 health regulations at their destination country, as well as complying with strict global data privacy regulations to enable the sharing of Covid-19 test results with airlines to verify they are eligible to undertake their journey.
