Behind the scenes at Qatar Airways: An inside look at passenger numbers, new aircraft and winter schedules

Qatar Airways is preparing for the busy winter travel season and planning the next phase of its growth. After months of regional disruptions, including the temporary suspension of flights in February, the Doha-based airline has had to adapt its operations to offer passenger support, expand its routes and remain resilient.

And now, Hamad Ali Al-Khater, Chief Executive Officer at Qatar Airways Group, said that “passenger numbers have recovered to around 90%-95% of last year’s levels”, with Hamad International Airport currently handling more than 140,000 passengers a day as international carriers gradually return to Doha. This includes British Airways, which resumed daily direct flights from London Heathrow to the Qatari capital earlier this month.

Al-Khater was speaking during a behind-the-scenes tour at Hamad International Airport. Here, Euronews Travel was given in-depth access into the teams and facilities that have kept the airline’s operations running through a period of regional and international disruption, as well as preparing for the winter season.

Qatar Airways is also planning for the long-term. Al-Khater said the airline is set to receive new long-range aircraft by the end of the year with a new cabin configuration. This will allow the carrier to “reach destinations further away than our existing narrow-body aircraft can serve”.

He added: “That will open up opportunities to fly to other cities and what we call secondary airports, which may previously have been difficult to serve economically.”

Over the next five years, 138 new aircraft are also slated to be added to the Qatar Airways fleet. Travellers can expect a new generation of the airline’s Qsuite business class product, which Al-Khater said is due to be unveiled in summer 2027.

Behind the scenes, returning to normal levels of operation, and preparing for the winter travel rush, involves a vast operation, spanning aircraft maintenance, customer service, ground operations and inflight offerings.

What’s on the horizon for QR’s winter schedule?

During the 2026-2027 winter season, Qatar Airways will expand its global network to more than 170 destinations. On the horizon are 186 weekly flights across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

In Europe, the airline is set to increase its London Heathrow service from 49 to 56 weekly flights starting on 25 October. While flights to Frankfurt will increase from 18 to 21 weekly flights from 7 December.

“In terms of winter preparation, [this] is a normal exercise for Qatar Airways,” Ali AlSaadi, chief maintenance, repair and overhaul officer (MRO), told Euronews Travel.

“We understand that the traffic pressure will increase [during this time], so, we ensure that our aircraft need to be utilised to the highest level.”

With aircraft and cabin maintenance beginning during the pre-winter season, the carrier’s large MRO centre oversees the testing and enhancement of its fleet, as well as upgrades to its technical capabilities. Here, Euronews Travel was given a closer look at one of the aircraft undergoing maintenance as part of Qatar Airways’ continued rollout of Starlink connectivity.

In August, Qatar Airways became the first airline to operate a Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-9 aircraft. In total, it operates 150 Starlink-equipped widebody aircraft, which is 83% of its connectivity ambitions.

In addition to the new winter schedule, Qatar Airways also announced earlier this year that it would operate four weekly flights to Helsinki in Finland starting from July, and ramped that number up to seven by August.

The carrier also expanded its South American network in July, launching flights to Bogotá, Colombia, and Caracas, Venezuela. The new service made Qatar Airways the first Gulf carrier to serve Venezuela and the first airline to connect the Middle East with Caracas and Bogotá.

Inside operations at Hamad International Airport

While at Hamad International Airport, Euronews Travel also visited the airport’s integrated operation centre, where flight operations and navigation services professionals outlined how the airline adapted to ongoing disruptions.

Before the escalation of regional tensions, Qatar Airways’ Doha hub benefitted from direct east-west connectivity. With airspace closures disrupting some of those routes, it had to reroute some operations southward as flying north remained a challenge. This allowed it to maintain access to key markets.

Qatar Airways is also exploring options with partners for new operating space as it seeks to ease the pressure on upholding its network.

The centre provides a real-time, live overview of day-to-day operations. Here, teams can monitor flight movements, as well as conditions in the cabin – including temperature.

At the airport's workshop, as many as 80 engines are kept at any given time, where they are serviced to remove excess sand, which can tarnish the blades — a particular challenge in the region's climate. A single engine can cost as much as $20-40 million (€17.2-€34.4 million), and a single blade costs around $250,000 (€215,297.50).

Keeping an aeroplane in the air, however, is only part of the equation. In the aftermath of the national airspace closure on 28 February, a passenger support centre was activated at the airport. At the time, 8,000 passengers were stranded in the Qatari capital, and a further 8,400 stuck across the carrier’s network.

“You can plan as much as possible, but you can’t see the future,” Abdulla Ali, Chief Operating Officer at Qatar Airways, told Euronews Travel in light of how his team responded to the situation.

“What made a massive difference, however, was that Qatar Airways is not just an airline – we’re a group. We are the airport operator, we are the airline, we are the ground handlers.”

Looking ahead to the winter season, Ali said that while regional crises remain ongoing, lessons learned from previous disruptions to travel, including Covid-19, meant the carrier remains in a solid position to continue efficient operations.

“I hope that this space remains,” he said regarding the passenger support centre’s permanency in the airport. “Part of our contingency plans mean we will always need such a department. However, this space can also be for other functions, because at the end of the day, this is a service.

“Regardless if there is a crisis or not, we are always going to want efficient operations, provide the best customer service. How we manoeuvre and become agile will always remain.”