Chicago to be Qatar Airways’ fourth US gateway

Qatar Airways Tuesday announced an expansion of its US route network with the introduction of daily passenger flights to Chicago from April 10 next year.
The non-stop service from Doha will be the carrier’s fourth US gateway, following already successful daily operations to New York (JFK), Washington (IAD) and Houston (IAH).
The carrier, which already operates twice-weekly cargo flights to Chicago O’Hare, will use its flagship long-haul Boeing 777-300 Extended Range passenger aircraft on the Doha-Chicago route with an approximate flying time of 15 hours. Today’s announcement follows this summer’s fifth anniversary launch celebrations of both the New York and Washington, DC, services.
Qatar Airways’ expansion to Chicago O’Hare, the world’s second busiest airport handling 70 million passengers a year, has long been earmarked by the airline as a key traffic route that would appeal to travelers from across its passenger network.
Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al-Baker said: “As Qatar Airways continues its aggressive expansion, we are pleased to finally offer another gateway in the US, this time to the ‘The Windy City’ of Chicago, five years after we began operations to North America.
“Chicago is a key route for business and leisure travelers alike, connecting them from destinations across India, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific with a one-stop service via Doha to the Midwest.”
Chicago has a population of nearly three million people, attracting millions of tourists and business travelers every year. For tourists visiting Chicago, attractions include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Architectural River Cruise and the iconic Willis Tower — the tallest building in North America.
Chicago is also home to a huge sports industry with well known teams — Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox — covering a variety of different sports attracting traveling fans from around the world.