Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways Group announced a leadership transition on December 7, 2025, with the appointment of Hamad Ali Al-Khater as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Al-Khater assumes the role previously held by Engr. Al-Khater brings extensive operational and strategic experience to the position. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha, Qatar Airways’ primary global hub. His background also includes senior leadership positions at QatarEnergy, the state-owned energy corporation, where he developed substantial expertise in large-scale operations and strategic management.

Qatar Airways marked the conclusion of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend with a groundbreaking debut: a Formula 1-themed Boeing 777 livery designed by Grammy-winning artist and producer Swizz Beatz. The aircraft, registered A7-BEG, made its official appearance during celebrations at Lusail International Circuit, combining the worlds of motorsports, music, and aviation in an unprecedented collaboration. The livery unveiling took place during a star-studded launch event at the Qatar Airways Hangar, featuring celebrity appearances including David Beckham, Jessica Alba, Rio Ferdinand, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and tennis champion Novak Djokovic. Comedian Kevin Hart provided entertainment by performing as a Formula 1 driver, adding theatrical flair to the proceedings.

Virgin Australia has launched its first daily Melbourne-to-Doha service, marking a significant expansion of its international network ahead of the busy Christmas travel period. The route, operational since December 1, 2025, represents a major milestone for the carrier’s long-haul recovery strategy following its return to international flying in June 2025. The new Melbourne-Doha service brings the total daily operations between Australia and Qatar’s capital to four, with Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways now serving Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. This expanded network capacity is substantial: annual seats on Australia-Doha routes have grown 53 percent to 2.65 million following these additions.

Qatar Airways has unveiled substantial expansions to its winter 2025-2026 flight schedule, reinforcing its network strategy with increased frequencies to four major destinations across Asia and Africa. The Doha-based carrier announced on November 23, 2025, that it will boost services to Kuala Lumpur, Lagos, Shanghai, and Singapore to accommodate rising passenger demand on these strategic routes. The network enhancements represent the latest phase in Qatar Airways’ broader winter schedule optimization, which has already added capacity to more than 15 major destinations including Cape Town, Dublin, London, Phuket, and Toronto. The airline continues to leverage Hamad International Airport as a central connecting hub, having introduced nearly 3,000 additional flights throughout 2025 to address growing global travel demand.