Qatar Airways’ first flight from Doha to Rabat landed on Wednesday at Rabat–Salé Airport, marking the airline’s third gateway to Morocco. Qatar Airways flight QR 1463, operated by a Boeing 787, was welcomed by a celebratory water cannon salute upon arrival in the Moroccan capital.

Present on board the inaugural flight to Rabat was Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Mr. Ehab Amin.

VIPs present to greet the flight included the Ambassador of the State of Qatar, H.E. Mr.  Abdulla Falah Al-Dosari; Minister Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar in Morocco, Mr. Khaled Mohammed Al-Dosari; General Manager of Morocco’s Civil Aviation Authority; Mr. Zakaria Belghazi; General Manager of Air Transport Morocco, Mr. Tarik Talibi; Deputy Mayor of  Rabat, Mr. Khalid Moujaouir; and President of the Regional Tourism Council in Rabat, Mr. Hassan Bargach.

Services to Rabat will be served three times per week by a Boeing 787 aircraft, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to launch services to Rabat, a beautiful coastal city and key business hub. This new gateway to Morocco will strengthen Qatar Airways’ already robust presence in the Moroccan market, while providing our passengers travelling from Morocco enhanced connectivity to our extensive global route map of more than 160 destinations. Rabat, the country’s capital, is also a major commercial and administrative centre, making it a key destination for business travellers, both from the region and internationally.”

Moroccan Airports Authority Chief Executive Officer, Mr Zouhair Mohammed El Aoufir, said: “We are pleased to welcome Qatar Airways as one of our airline partners operating flights to the Rabat-Salé airport. This new route continues to enrich the airport’s offers, and certainly opens further opportunities for Rabat, the city of lights.

This new route, in addition to the existing Doha-Casablanca route, strengthens our ambition to developing long-haul flights to this airport, as well as reflecting the strong relationship and cooperation between our two countries.”