There was already Emirates which, since the end of 2012, has had a monopoly on routes between Lyon and the Gulf States. We will now have to reckon with Qatar Airways. At the Kuwait Air Show, the airline's flamboyant CEO, Akhbar Al Baker, announced the launch of eight new routes. The honour of being the only European city that Qatar will add to its network has therefore fallen to Lyon. In parallel, Qatar Airways will also be launching flights to Accra, Almaty, Cebu, Luanda, Nur Sultan, Siem Reap and Trabzon this year.
From 23 June, Lyon will be linked to Doha by five weekly flightsThese flights will be operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a three-class configuration. The airline will take off from Doha at 8.20am and return from Lyon at 4.30pm, landing in Doha shortly before midnight. Why such a choice, in addition to the service to Paris CDG and the one launched to Nice in 2017? "Qatar Airways didn't have much choice when it came to a new destination in France.says Philippe Bernand, current Chairman of the Management Board of Société de l'Aéroport de Marseille Provence Marignane, but former Chairman of the Management Board of Aéroports de Lyon until 2017, in which capacity he was involved in negotiations with the Qatari airline. Lyon had been only destination granted to Qatar Airways by the DGAC. At the time, no other city was included in the traffic rights agreement with France."he recalls.
To find out more, the open skies agreement which Qatar concluded with the European Union last year, and which will allow Qatar Airways to fly wherever it wishes in Europe, is still awaiting final ratification. The procrastination caused by Brexit is delaying the process, as the United Kingdom has for some time no longer been involved in European Union decision-making. Any EU agreement requires ratification by all its member countries...
France's regional airports are eagerly awaiting impatience this open skies agreement. "At Marseille, we are already at a very advanced stage of discussions with Qatar Airways.explains Julien Boullay, Sales and Marketing Director for the Phocaean platform. The airline believes that there is strong traffic potential. The arrival of the Airbus A321 Neo LR in the Qatar Airways fleet, with a configuration of around 180 seats, will also give it an ideal module to serve a market the size of Marseille".. La surge Qatar Airways in France is probably just getting started...
