Qatar Air may introduce first class on select routes

As part its aggressive product revamping, Doha-based Qatar Airways may introduce first class on select routes in the country.

Qatar Airways, which currently operates 30 flights a week from five Indian cities, is having first class only on Delhi-Doha route. Other Indian destinations of Qatar Airways include Mumbai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad.

Confirming this development, Qatar Airways Area Manager -India Naveen Chawla said the airlines is seriously examining the prospects of introducing first class in other routes.

"We have positioned first class as a special product to our passengers. We are planning to introduce first class in other routes subject to approvals from the government," Chawla said.

Currently, the airlines has business class and economy class for other cities.

Chawla said the airline has introduced electronic ticketing for flights departing from May 1 to replace paper documents and simplify the travel process.

Qatar Airway's electronic ticketing is being implemented under a strategic partnership contract with Lufthansa Systems that covers a wide range of services including the provision of software for self-service check-in terminals and global network communication services for Qatar Airways' entire airport operations worldwide.

Chawla said Qatar Airways will fly non-stop scheduled services from Nagpur to Doha in the summer. "At present, we are examining the operational requirements of the Nagpur-Doha service. We will shortly finalise the date for the proposed service," he said.