It's touchdown for Qatar Airways at its 97th destination

Budapest: With the launch this week of a flight to Budapest from its home base in Doha, Qatar Airways increased the number of its destinations to 97.

"We expect that Budapest, being one of the great showcases of European culture, will attract many leisure travellers from the Far East and Middle East," Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, told Gulf News.

Earlier on Monday, at 12 minutes past noon, flight QR943 touched down at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport, making Qatar Airways the only Gulf carrier flying to Romania.

Al Baker also told Bloomberg that the airline plans to be one of the early recipients of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He also said that the company plans to sell shares in the airline by 2012.

"We are going to get the 787s and we are going to be one of the early recipients," he said. "We are accepting that there is a slight delay."

Over the next two months, Qatar Airways will begin flights to the Belgian capital Brussels (January 31) and Stuttgart, Germany (March 6).

In an interview with Gulf News Al Baker answered questions about the airline's latest destination. 

Gulf News: Why did you launch a flight to Budapest considering it is not a widely-popular European destination?

Akbar Al Baker: The Central Eastern European market is still relatively untapped and offers large potential for Qatar Airways. With our direct flight we now offer a quick and convenient service via our Doha hub.

Why would passengers from the UAE choose Qatar Airways to fly to Budapest when they already have a choice of several airlines that offer a one-stop route?

With Qatar Airways, we offer the travelling public a quick connection via our Doha hub, with a convenient service that differentiates us from competitors.

Which aircraft will you use for this route?

The Doha-Budapest route will be operated with an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration.

What kind of passengers are you hoping to attract?

We expect a good mix with the largest percentage being outbound from Hungary.

Do you realise that passenger volumes might decline in peak winter when temperatures go down to lows of zero degrees?

We are not too concerned as the route will also be strongly supported by Hungarians travelling on business or heading to exotic holiday destinations in the Middle East or Asia — and that, especially during the winter period.