Qatar Airways has resumed its Boeing 787 services after a worldwide grounding of the aircraft in January. The airline’s fleet of five Dreamliners was grounded earlier this year following a directive from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airline’s first Boeing 787 was deployed from Doha to Dubai. Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways was the first passenger to board the airline’s reinstated Dreamliner 787, joined by Jeffrey Johnson, President, Boeing Middle East; David Silver, Deputy Fleet Chief, Boeing and a delegation of regional and international media.
Al Baker said he was delighted to be back on board the Dreamliner. “I always said I would be the first to fly on Qatar Airways’ 787 once it returned to service, and I’m thrilled that our Dreamliner fleet is back in the skies. After a setback that not only affected our own worldwide operations, but those of many carriers worldwide, we look forward to now deploying the Dreamliner on other key routes over the coming weeks. Throughout the grounding of our fleet we have worked closely with Boeing to monitor the situation and work towards getting our fleet up and running again. Safety has always been the number one priority for Qatar Airways and I have full confidence in the safety and security of this aircraft,” he said.
Johnson said, “Today’s flight is a tribute to the spirit of partnership, which led to the solution that made it possible. It is also testament to Qatar Airways’ continued support for the 787 Dreamliner program and to the strength of its relationship with Boeing.”
