Qatar Airways has announced plans to resume its operation of scheduled non-stop flights between its Doha Hamad International (DOH) hub and Auckland Airport (AKL) in New Zealand. This route used to be one of the world's longest, but it ceased operating during the early months of the pandemic, back in 2020.
A change of aircraft
According to the New Zealand Herald, when Qatar Airways initially began flying between Auckland and Doha on a non-stop basis back in December 2016, it used the Boeing 777-200LR to connect the two cities. However, when the flights resume on September 1st this year, the Airbus A350-1000 will be the plane of choice. Qatar Airways is hoping to bag connecting traffic, with CEO Akbar Al Baker stating:
"The direct Doha to Auckland service augments a number of new routes announced in recent weeks and enables passengers in key European markets including the UK and Ireland to save time with this direct connection."
Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying!
Qatar Airways' Airbus A350-1000s have space for 327 passengers onboard, with this figure divided between 281 economy class and 46 business class seats. In the latter of these cabins, the seats aren't just any business class flatbed, but rather the widely revered QSuite. This product allows passengers a greater deal of privacy.
In it for the long-haul
The high passenger comfort levels offered onboard by the QSuite will be welcomed by its business class passengers, given the length of the flights. QR920 will depart Doha at 01:50 local time, and touch down in Auckland at 02:45 the following morning. This gives it a cheek-numbing block time of 15 hours and 55 minutes.
Meanwhile, the return flight, which is numbered as QR921, is even longer, clocking in at a scheduled duration of some 17 hours and 15 minutes. It is timed to depart Auckland at 15:00 local time, with its arrival into Doha being planned for 23:15 on the same day. These flights will operate on a daily basis from September 1st.
Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today!
These times do, however, represent considerable savings over Qatar Airways' current offering. At present, its Doha-Auckland flights make an en-route stopover in Adelaide, Australia. Going to Auckland, this makes the overall duration 19 hours and 20 minutes long, with the return leg clocking in at 20 hours and 45 minutes.
Passengers who had previously booked to travel on this route from September onwards before the announcement of the non-stop flights will now be rebooked onto the new services. This will most likely come as a pleasant surprise, given that it will save them around three-and-a-half hours in each direction.
A closer look at the configuration
Let's conclude by checking out the best seats on the Airbus A350-1000s that will be operating these flights. For QSuite passengers wanting a more exclusive experience, rows 11 and 12 are the place to be, as aeroLOPA shows that these are separate from rows 1-10. Meanwhile, the front row of each economy section has two seats rather than three on the outer sections, and thus is perfect for couples.
What do you make of Qatar Airways' plans to relaunch non-stop Doha-Auckland flights? Did you ever use this route during its previous spell? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Sources: aeroLOPA, New Zealand Herald, Qatar Airways
-
Qatar Airways
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- QR/QTR
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Doha Hamad International Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1993
- Alliance:
- oneworld
- CEO:
- Akbar Al Baker
- Country:
- Qatar
-
Doha Hamad International Airport
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- DOH/OTHH
- Country:
- Qatar
- CEO:
- Akbar Al Baker
- Passenger Count :
- 17,702,635 (2021)
- Runways :
- 16R/34L - 4,250m (13,945ft) | 16L/34R - 4,850m (15,910ft)
- Airlines:
- Qatar Airways
- Terminals:
- Terminal 1
