Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker has officially opened the award-winning airline’s first-ever Qatar Airways Travel Boutique on 9 January 2019.
Complete with burgundy lighting, curved walls, a Business Class desk and an A380 First Class seat to experience, the shop enables customers to feel as though they have stepped on board a Qatar Airways aircraft. The airline’s first-ever brand shop is now open at the airline’s home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA).
The unveiling was attended by VIP guests, including General Manager of Al Sadd Sports Club, Mr. Turki Al-Ali; representatives of the media; as well as professional football players from the legendary German football club FC Bayern München Kingsley Coman, Mats Hummels, Niklas Süle, and football star Gabriel Arenas from the Qatar football club Al Sadd Sports Club.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to launch our first-ever boutique to engage shoppers in a unique way by enabling them to enjoy the Qatar Airways experience on the ground. We are excited to launch this new retail concept at our magnificent home and hub, Hamad International Airport, a further testament to our vision of redefining the perfect travel experience for our travellers.”
Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, Mr. Thabet Musleh, said: “We are proud to launch such a unique concept to our customers, enabling them to experience the unique luxury of Qatar Airways. This boutique takes shopping to the next level, where customers can experience an A380 First Class seat, grab the latest football strip from one of the world’s top global teams, play their own penalty shoot-out and shop from an exclusive range of branded travel essentials including a high-end luggage collection, a kids’ range of travel games and accessories. This truly is the embodiment of an experience worth travelling for.”
Qatar Duty Free was awarded ‘Airport Retailer of the Year’ at the 2018 DFNI Global Awards. In April, the leading airport retailer was recognised at the PAX International Readership Awards, when Qatar Airways won ‘Best In-Flight Duty Free Program’ for the Middle East and Africa, and was acknowledged as an industry leader for its outstanding in-flight duty free service, which is operated by Qatar Duty Free.
Later this year, Qatar Duty Free, along with Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport, will host the world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference, The Trinity Forum. The conference, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific, will take place in Doha from 30-31 October 2019.
