Qatari A321's to Enter Service
 

QR's first A321's are joining the fleet within the next few days, and will primarily be used on dense regional routes, to places such as BEY, AMM, CAI, AUH and KRT.

Interestingly, the aircraft will join a fleet family (A320) that QR is already having difficulty in managing, given the shortage of flight deck crew.

Several routes normally flown by the A320, such as KTM/KUL, MCT, KRT and MLE are seeing services being replaced by A300-600's, which is a fleet with "adequate" crewing levels. In fact, despite having recently taken two additional A330's on lease from GPA (ex-Volare of Italy aircraft, A7-AFN and A7-AFO), Qatar will also take on lease ANOTHER A300-600, bringing that fleet number to ten aircraft.

Melbourne will commence in November - using A330's, we presume, operating via KUL.

A300Man

A300MAN
You sound like the PR department for Qatar! Don't waste your time mate!!

You couldn't be farther from the truth, actually. However, thanks for your observations.

Populating this forum with information and data is not wasting time.

Best regards,

A300

Methinks you have toooooooo much time on your hands.

Flights to MEL thru KUL is news.initial plan (I think) has been to fly via CMB.

Will the leased A330's mean they'll have another pair of aircraft with non-standard interior fits again?

Wonder if they are the ones that's operate the MAN-DOH route.

Bang
Hope you are well - you could be right. It was actually the plan to op via CMB to several long distance routes until the A346's arrive in a few years. However, I now understand that KUL is being re-considered as a more "recognised" secondary hub. Apparently, there has been some reservations made about the use of CMB (viewed as a third-rate terminal) for international transit point for "bus-stop" passengers. i.e. pax who would possibly fly LHR-DOH-CMB-MEL. It is felt that CMB is not really a suitable transit point.

I have to say that I (personally) disagree with this. As you and I both know, CMB may be a secondary terminal in terms of its facilities and services, it does however possess a seamless and friendly atmosphere that places such as SIN, KUL and DXB just don't have. (Plus we know of the good political links between CMB and QR.................................) So, I am not sure how it will develop. Can anyone correct me in my assumption that the current A330's are not capable of non-stop DOH-MEL?

EAL - The two current leased A330's are A7-AFN and AFO. Formerly in the fleet of Italian Volare. They are the non-spec machines that are currently ops destinations like MNL and MAN (although I just came back from MAN a few days back on ACD!). I am not sure how many other A330's are joining the fleet on LEASE - I am only aware of an additional A300.

"Melbourne will commence in November - using A330's, we presume, operating via KUL. "

... we presume (?), hehe...

"We" as in the audience reading PPRUNE. Not "we" as in "A300Man is working for QR."

What's the reason for the delay with the latest 332 coming from the factory? Anyone got any idea? Curious.....

well, fair enough a300man. maybe not all are presuming that their melbourne service will be operating via KUL.

Latest feedback suggest that the MEL sector will be operated via CMB.also,this would be a very lucretive route as the 2nd largest population outside Sri-Lanka lives in Australia,plus easy connections/services to and from the Lebanese capital to/from Australia.

There are no other carriers operating between these points at the moment after Srilankan and French carrier AOM stoped operations sometime ago.

I also remember,KUL station staff mentioning of the Aussie sector via KUL.

It would however be nice to see QR expanding its wings!