QA flies world’s first fully COVID vaccinated flight

Satyendra Pathak Doha Continuing its efforts in leading the recovery of international travel, Qatar Airways (QA) on Tuesday operated the world’s first full...

Satyendra PathakDohaContinuing its efforts in leading the recovery of international travel, Qatar Airways (QA) on Tuesday operated the world’s first fully COVID-19 vaccinated flight.The special flight QR6421, operated by the airline’s most technologically advanced and sustainable aircraft A350-1000, carried only vaccinated crew and passengers onboard. The passengers were served by the fully vaccinated staff at check-in.The ‘flight to nowhere’, which departed from Hamad International Airport around 11.30 am, remained within Qatari airspace for more than three hours and returned to Doha.The special flight showcased all the measures the airline has put in place to ensure the highest standards of safety and hygiene on board, including its latest innovation, the world’s first ‘Zero-Touch’ in-flight entertainment technology.Passengers on board were also able to livestream the historic experience, thanks to Qatar Airways’ industry-leading super WiFi onboard that combines the latest technology from Inmarsat, SITA for Aircraft and Thales.Talking to media persons before the departure of the flight, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said, “This special flight demonstrates that the next stage in the recovery of international travel is not far away. We are proud to continue leading the industry by operating the first flight with a fully vaccinated crew and passengers and providing a beacon of hope for the future of international aviation. With aviation being a critical economic driver both globally and here in Qatar, we are thankful for the support we have received from our government and local health authorities to vaccinate our staff, with over 1,000 vaccinations being administered per day.”He said the requirement for COVID-19 vaccinations will likely be a trend in air travel, as the industry attempts to rebound from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.“In the short term, I think that the vaccine passport will be helpful to give confidence both to governments and to the passengers in our industry to start travelling again,” Baker said.Asked if vaccinations will become a necessity in order to fly, Baker said, “I think this will be the trend initially as people need to have confidence in air travel. This will be a trend that will happen until such a time that people are certain that there is a proper cure, or proper treatment for this very serious pandemic we are facing today.”Baker, however, said that Qatar Airways does not yet have any plans to mandate that all passengers be vaccinated.Asked who should run the vaccination passport process, Baker said, “In my view, it should be led by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). I have full confidence that IATA will get into grips with the issues in front of the industry.”Talking about the role of Qatari Airways in helping to repatriate millions of stranded passengers amid COVID-19, he said, “It is in Qatar Airways DNA to be at the forefront, setting the highest standards of safety and customer service. When the pandemic hit its peak in early April, our airline continued flying to help repatriate millions of stranded passengers and transport essential medical supplies, while also implementing the latest innovations in biosafety and hygiene. As the vaccine rollout begins to gather pace worldwide, Qatar Airways remains committed to being the airline passengers and travel partners can rely on, operating one of the largest global networks to provide the connectivity needed to reunite families and friends and support global trade.”“Qatar Airways Cargo has also played a vital role in maintaining a reliable schedule across our network of destinations. Since the onset of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has helped transport more than 500,000 tonnes of medical supplies and delivered close to 20,000,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 20 countries,” he said.To show its gratitude to those who have played key roles throughout the pandemic, Baker said, Qatar Airways gave away 100,000 complimentary return tickets to healthcare workers and 21,000 to teachers around the world in 2020.Expressing confidence that Qatar Airways will rebound, Baker said, “We are currently rebuilding our network to operate over 1,200 weekly flights to more than 140 destinations by summer. We are fully prepared to meet any surge in demand on any route.”