Qatar

On June 9th, an A350-1000 took off and completed its first flight at Airbus facilities in Toulouse, France. The plane, painted in Qatar Airways livery, was indeed ordered by the Middle Eastern carrier. However, it’s uncertain if – and perhaps unlikely that – the airline will ever take delivery of this plane.

The Greek island of Santorini has seen enormous international development, with Middle East flights more than doubling. Qatar Airways has inaugurated Doha to Santorini, one of three destinations now served in Greece, joining routes to Athens and Mykonos. It follows the carrier launching in Mogadishu, Somalia, earlier this month.

Akbar Al Baker has concerns about the effects of rising oil costs. Akbar Al Baker, who presently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways, has said his concerns that the airline industry may be set to face another recession.