Q Life Magazine Issue 7 | Page 34

Issue 7 Qataris Abroad QATAR AIRWAYS Bringing people together Salam Shawa at the Qatar Airways headquarters Salam Shawa is responsible for the global marketing and communications for Qatar Airways. Q Life sat with Salam to discuss the airline’s global, ambitious vision – and how she and her team work tirelessly to make it happen. Doha is the ideal location for an airline, being We look at passenger and cargo demand, as unjust blockade against Qatar. We dealt with situated in a strategic location between East and well as competition to each destination, to it with class. We stayed positive and under the West. Can you give an example of how Qatar ensure that flights are sustainable. We also look visionary leadership of Group Chief Executive, His Airways is able to take advantage of Qatar’s at seasonality of demand, for example in the Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, we continued to global positioning? summer we operate flights to Malaga, Spain expand our reach, launching a number of new and whereas in winter we instead send the aircraft to exciting destinations. We might have lost 18 routes Doha is indeed ideally placed to serve as Chiang Mai, Thailand. New destinations should but managed to launch 25 new routes since the the ultimate hub to the world. In December complement our existing portfolio of more than blockade and will continue to launch more and we welcomed the world’s top football clubs 160 destinations worldwide and ultimately our bring people together from around the world. representing each of FIFA’s six regional objective is to maximise prof itability with each Confederations as they converged on Doha, backed new destination that we launch. by thousands of supporters, to compete for the title of global champion club. Qatar’s global position just a four-hour flight from two billion people makes it the perfect host for top-level global sporting events. What factors does Qatar Airways take into We are now less than three years away from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which promises to Qatar Airways is much more than just an airline. be a unique and exciting opportunity for Qatar It has become a symbol of the State of Qatar for and the people of the Middle East. How is Qatar many people around the world. What makes you Airways positioning itself internationally ahead of most proud when you think about the work you the largest sports event in the world? do for Qatar Airways? Qatar Airways is proud to be the Official Sponsor consideration when exploring possible new Seeing Qatar Airways’ name in the sky despite of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with its global destinations? all the challenges we faced, especially with the audience of over 3 billion people. The FIFA World 34 We managed to launch 25 new routes since the blockade and will continue to launch more and bring people together from around the world. Salam Shawa, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Qatar Airways 35