Dubai: Qatar Airways has tied up with the Rotana group to enter the hospitality industry with the Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha, said Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker.
The four-star hotel will open this year with 400 rooms, adjacent to the new Doha International Airport. It will be managed by Rotana.
The venture is part of the airline's growth plan because "airlines and hospitality go hand in hand", a spokesperson of the airline told Gulf News. The airline is also considering other similar projects.
"We are planning to open four to five more hotels in different countries and will have Oryx as the first name. They may be managed by different groups," he said.
The hotel will serve an increasing number of transit passengers and other guests.
"We are a very fast-growing airline and will be operating from the new airport in 2011. Our expansion is phenomenal with ongoing orders for more than 200 aircraft worth over $40 billion (Dh146.8 billion)," Al Baker said.
Qatar Airways aims to have 120 destinations with 120 aircraft within the next three years. Currently, the airline operates 81 aircraft on 89 destinations.
Al Baker said that once the new $14.5 billion airport is ready by next year, the existing one would be redeveloped into various commercial and residential projects. "There is a master plan for that," he said.
Land sales at the locale will cover some of the new airport's cost, he said.
The airline will start flights to destinations in Iraq as it has got the rights to operate to Irbil, Najaf and Baghdad, Al Baker said. Qatar Airways has also finalised plans, including name and logo, for a low-fare airline.
