QATAR Airways will provide “convenient connection” to its new destination Houston for passengers from Bahrain. The airline is launching non-stop flights to the Texan city – its third in the US, on March 30. Houston is Qatar Airways’ first route launch in 2009. Passengers on the airline’s daily morning flight QR151 from Bahrain, which reaches Doha at 6:10am, can conveniently connect to the Houston flight scheduled to depart the Qatari capital at 9:40am. Qatar Airways operates some 49 flights between Bahrain and Doha every week. The airline will fly daily to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport offering “flexibility and convenience” to business and leisure travellers flying to Houston and beyond. At almost 17 hours flying time, the Doha-Houston route will be one of the longest non-stop flights in the world. Qatar Airways executive vice-president (commercial) Ali al-Rais made a presentation on the airline’s Houston route launch in Bahrain yesterday. He said the airline would be using a Boeing 777-200 long range aircraft with 259 seats including fully flat beds in business class on the route. Boeing 777 will be configured in a two-class configuration of some 42 seats in business class. Qatar Airways currently operates five Boeing 777-300 extended range aircraft, but set to take delivery of its first Boeing 777-200 long range version next month for use on Houston and other ultra long-haul routes. “The launch of our latest US route is highly anticipated as Qatar Airways will bridge the world’s energy capitals of Doha and Houston with this daily flight using our new long-haul flagship aircraft, the Boeing 777,” al-Rais said. “Houston is a very strategic route for Qatar Airways, as it opens up increased bilateral business opportunities for the energy sectors across the Middle East and the oil-producing southern states of America. Houston will also be an excellent gateway to the oil-producing countries of neighbouring Mexico and Latin America,” he said. The Houston service will complement airline’s popular existing US routes to New York and Washington DC, launched in mid-2007. The airline currently offers daily non-stop flights between Doha and both New York’s JFK International Airport and Washington Dulles. http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=267429&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

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