Qatar Airways to reduce first class seats

Qatar Airways is almost entirely ending its first class seats from its aircrafts due to higher and consistent profit from business class seats rather than first class.

Qatar Airways is continuously decreasing its first class service and will offer first class only on A380 aircraft once it slowly phases out A330 and A340 aircrafts. The airline has placed an order for ten A380 aircrafts that will offer only eight first class seats.

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airlines, said due to financial crisis it is not economical for executives to fly in first class. Only very few of them flew using our first class service. So, we have decided to center our attention more on business class instead of first class. We are creating a new class called ‘super business class’ that will be launched over a period of two years. This will be installed on all aircrafts. He further added that they will not be returning to first class travel as most of the occupation is on business travel. Also because the number of leisure travelers are very less in the front cabins i.e. first class.
Earlier this month, Etihad Airways revealed its premium class ‘The Residence’ which will be present only on its A380 aircrafts. The carrier has also ordered ten A380 aircrafts with the premium class. Emirates the largest operator of A380, has 50 A380 aircrafts and has placed an order of 140 more aircrafts.

Negating the speculations about shifting its complete Dubai operations to Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport, Qatar said that this will not be true anytime before 2024. Akbar Al Baker said that shifting will be performed only after Dubai World Central is completely operational. This is not expected until Emirates shifts over to this place which is not until 2014.

Qatar Airlines is a flag carrier of Qatar established in 1993. The airline is headquartered in Doha. It links 125 international destinations using more than 100 aircrafts.