Qatar Airways planning new British routes

Richard Oliver, country manager for the U.K. and Ireland, has confirmed that the second-biggest Gulf airline sees potential for growth in the British Isles, and with slots at Heathrow hard to come by, Gatwick looks to be the next best option for increasing capacity to London. “We still see huge potential for growth in Britain. There’s a stable economy, a valuable currency and a firm market,” Oliver said. The Doha-based airline has very recently increased capacity on its Heathrow service by replacing an A319 aircraft with a 254-seat B787. Qatar Airways currently fly six-times daily to London’s Heathrow. A number of other possible destinations are also under review, including Dublin in Ireland, Belfast in Northern Ireland, and a new Scottish route. Oliver also stated that sales on

Qatar’s new route to Birmingham

, which commences in March with an eight-times weekly service, are beating expectations. He goes on to say, that, ideally, he would like to see a three-times daily service to Birmingham, as well as to current destinations Manchester and Edinburgh, in order to connect with the three waves of departures from Qatar’s Doha hub.