Qatar Airways will unveil a custom-made, bespoke design exhibition stand at the world largest travel trade fair in Berlin this week with its new Boeing 787 seats taking centre stage on display for the first time. The brand new exhibition stand is itself a showcase piece, providing the setting for the long-awaited debut of the airline's Business and Economy Class seats for its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which the airline starts taking delivery of this summer. Key features of the two-storey 200sqm stand include a crisp dark wood exterior, ambient lighting, a hand-blown glass chandelier, ample meeting spaces, contemporary furniture, and fine cuisine prepared from a menu created especially for guests at ITB. Additional highlights include a scale model of the New Doha International Airport, which is due to open later this year, and interactive media demonstration kiosks allowing visitors to surf through different features of Qatar Airways, its products and services, using iPads supported on plinths around the stand. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said Qatar Airways' presence at this week's ITB Berlin travel fair will be given a double boost with the unveiling of a new stand and new Boeing 787 interiors. ITB Berlin, which is open to the travel trade and public, runs from March 7 to 11. "This year at ITB Berlin we are showcasing the best of the best - the very latest of what we have to offer - a brand new custom-made exhibition stand, the latest features of our onboard entertainment system and, of course, an exclusive look at our new Boeing 787 seats," said Al Baker. "I have been waiting for this year's show to present what will make Qatar Airways' 787 design a truly superior aircraft. We are continuously revolutionising and outpacing industry standards in order to present the most comfortable, service-focus product in the skies." Qatar Airways is the first Middle East customer of the Boeing 787, with 60 aircraft on order, including options. The Doha-based airline is preparing to take delivery of five 787s during 2012, with the first set to arrive in Qatar this summer. The carrier will initially operate the aircraft on intra-Gulf routes to provide flight crew with training hours before Qatar Airways' 787 is scheduled to appear on static display at the Farnborough Air Show in July and then enter its first long-haul commercial service on the Doha - London Heathrow route. At last year's ITB Berlin, Qatar Airways set new visitor records to its exhibition stand. This year promises to have added appeal drawing visitors to the new-look stand in Hall 22B. Qatar Airways regularly uses the world's largest annual travel fair as a platform to present new products and services, as well as announce its strategic plans for the next 12 months to a large audience of national and international media. Added Al Baker, "This year will be no different with new route announcements and Qatar Airways' Boeing 787 seats being an integral feature of our exhibition stand in Berlin and at future trade shows around the world." Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 105 aircraft from its Doha hub to 112 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. Germany forms a core part of the airline's European network with a total of 35 weekly non-stop flights between Doha and four German airports - Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin and Stuttgart. As part of its ongoing expansion programme, Qatar Airways launched flights to Baku (Azerbaijan) and Tbilisi (Georgia) via Baku on February 1. The carrier will start flights to a further seven destinations this year - Kigali (Rwanda) from March 21; Zagreb (Croatia) from May 9; Perth (Australia) from July 3; with dates yet to be announced for other new routes - Mombasa (Kenya), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Helsinki (Finland), and Gassim (Saudi Arabia). AMEinfo.com

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