Qatar Airways announced that it will be resuming services to Venice, Italy starting from 15 July 2020. The popular tourist destination and major arts and cultural center will become the airline’s third destination in Italy to resume flights, marking a significant step in the resumption of global leisure travel.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar will also increase flights to Dublin, Milan and Rome, with daily services starting from 13 June 2020.

As one of the only global airlines to have maintained a significant schedule throughout this crisis, Qatar Airways is uniquely positioned to monitor trends in traffic flow and passenger bookings. The airline expects these additional flights to provide further seamless connectivity via its award-winning hub, Hamad International Airport, with its Asia-Pacific destinations, in particular Australia where the airline continues to operate 21 weekly flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said:

“We are excited to resume services to Venice, one of the most iconic and popular tourist destinations in the world. Throughout this crisis, our focus has been on helping to take people home and transporting medical aid and essential supplies to impacted regions. The resumption of services to Venice is a major milestone not just for our airline but also for the global tourism industry, indicating the start of the gradual return of international leisure travel. We look forward to supporting the many businesses in Venice that rely on international tourism and expanding these flights as demand grows.

“During this crisis, we have become the largest carrier flying over 50 million kilometers to repatriate over 1.8 million passengers on over 15,000 flights. This has enabled us to accumulate unrivaled experience of how to safely and reliably carry passengers during these uncertain times. Our wide network of flights during these challenging times has ensured we have kept up to date with the latest in international airport procedures and implemented the most advanced safety and hygiene measures onboard our aircraft and in Hamad International Airport, recently voted the Best Airport in the Middle East for the sixth year in a row. We have been the airline passengers can rely on during this crisis and we will continue to ensure the safest and most reliable experience for our passengers as global travel recovers.”

Qatar Airways three-weekly flights to Venice will be operated by its Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 Seats in Economy class. The airline has further enhanced its onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew.

The airline is implementing several changes, including the introduction of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits for cabin crew while onboard, as well as a modified service that reduces interactions between the passengers and the crew inflight.

Cabin crew has already been wearing PPE during flights for a number of weeks, including gloves and face masks. Passengers will also be required to wear face coverings inflight, with the carrier recommending travelers bring their own for fit and comfort purposes.