Qatar Airways has celebrated its 15th anniversary in Australia by giving passengers Business Class upgrades at Melbourne Airport on Friday.
The airline has flown over 9.7 million passengers in and out of Australia since starting its operation in 2009 with Australian operations commencing on 7 December 2009 with the Melbourne-Doha route.
Since then, the airline has extended its network, operating to five key cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, with 42 weekly flights also carrying over 440 million tonnes of cargo in and out of the country.
The Melbourne Airport celebration saw Qatar Airways giving away Business Class flight upgrades to six lucky passengers, while sweet treats were handed out to all passengers to thank them for choosing the world’s best airline for their travel needs.
Melbourne Airport’s head of Commercial and Airline Business Development, Michael Cullen, was in attendance along with senior members of the Qatar Airways team for the ‘cake-cutting ceremony’ ahead of the giveaway fanfare.
As part of the 15th anniversary celebration, and on top of exciting flight deals, Qatar Airways also launched a celebratory Business Class menu available onboard that features native Australian ingredients, including Queensland finger lime, South Australian bush tomato, NSW lemon myrtle to pay homage to Australian heritage & elevate in-flight dining experience.
Thierry Antinori, chief commercial officer at Qatar Airways, said: “We’re proud to be marking 15 years of service in Australia and our celebration at Melbourne Airport was another way for us to thank our customers who have provided us with exceptional support since we arrived in the country.
“The reactions of passengers when gifted a flight upgrade or giveaway were terrific to see and further demonstrates why it’s so important for us to be able to deliver these special moments for our customers.”
Melbourne Airport’s Michael Cullen said Qatar Airways has been an excellent partner for the last 15 years.
“The surprise and delight giveaways last week certainly helped to create added excitement for passengers at our airport,” he said.
In addition to supporting the Australian community, including recent evacuation flights, Qatar Airways has also been a key partner of the Sydney Swans for the past eight years, a sponsor of sporting events such as Formula One Australian Grand Prix, MotoGP and more. In 2025, Qatar Airways will also be the title partner of the British & Irish Lions Tour, which will arrive in the country in June next year. It also supports charities such as the Good Friday Appeal.
