The 2022 FIFA World Cup showed the world that Qatar can not only host one of the largest sporting events but also offer a pleasing infrastructure to its visitors. While many people thought that most people got attracted to the country due to the event, it seems to have only been the beginning for Qatar.

The country has seen a significant increase in tourism since then, with over 3.3 million people visiting in the first eight months of this year. Qatar is on track to welcome over 4.5 million visitors this year, thanks to its smoother visa processes, the national airline network, and openness towards other air carriers.

Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that in addition to Qatar Airways’ massive international network, many foreign airlines offer thousands of scheduled flights to Qatar this year. This article explores foreign airlines that will offer over 2,000 scheduled flights in 2024.

The top three foreign airlines

The Indian low-cost operator InterGlobe Aviation Limited, IndiGo, tops the list with over 8,000 flights to Qatar this year. It is the largest airline in India by fleet size and passengers carried, holding an approximately 62% domestic market share. The airline carried over 100 million passengers last year, making it one of the largest single airlines in the world.

IndiGo is the world’s largest operator of the Airbus A320neo family aircraft, with over 300 examples in service and an additional 900+ on order. IndiGo operates scheduled services to Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) from Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode, Hyderabad and Chennai. With 8,114 flights to Qatar this year, IndiGo offers over 1.5 million seats, translating to over 2.6 billion ASMs.

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Dubai-based low-cost carrier FlyDubai operates six daily flights from its hub at Dubai International Airport (DXB) to DOH. The 70-minute route is served by the carrier’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. FlyDubai is scheduled to operate 4,364 flights to Qatar this year, offering over 750K seats, translating to over 177 million ASMs.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, operates up to four daily flights from its hub at Bahrain (BAH) to DOH. The 55-minute route is served by the carrier’s Airbus A320 and A320neo family aircraft. Gulf Air will operate 2,810 flights to Qatar this year, offering over 400K seats, translating to nearly 37 million ASMs.

The other six

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and Sharjah-based Air Arabia operate multiple daily flights to Doha from their respective hubs. Etihad operates up to four daily flights from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to DOH. Served onboard the carrier’s Airbus A320 fleet, Etihad will operate 2,664 flights this year, offering over 450K seats, translating to over 90 million ASMs.

Air Arabia operates three daily flights from Sharjah, UAE (SHJ) to DOH. Served onboard the carrier’s Airbus A320 family fleet, Air Arabia will operate 2,606 flights this year, offering nearly 485K seats, translating to over 916 million ASMs.

Indian flag carriers Air India and Air India Express each operate over 2,000 flights between various major cities in India and Doha. From Delhi, Kochi, and Mumbai for Air India to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram for its wholly owned subsidiary, the Indian carriers combined operate nearly 5,000 flights, offering 900K seats and over 1.5 billion ASMs to Qatar in 2024.

Photo: Rahul Sapra | Shutterstock

Finnair primarily operates its fleet of Airbus A330-300 widebody jets from several major cities to Doha, including Copenhagen, Helsinki, and Stockholm. Finnair will operate 2,212 flights this year, offering over 617K seats, translating to over 1.7 billion ASMs.

Similarly, the Saudi Arabian budget airline Flynas operates flights to Doha from several major cities in the Kingdom. Operated on the airline’s fleet of Airbus A320neo aircraft, the airline serves the Qatari destinations from Riyadh (RUH), Jeddah (JED), and Medina (MED). Flynas will operate 2,166 flights this year, offering over 368K seats, translating to nearly 220 million ASMs.