Qatar Airways has announced the addition of eight major new routes to its network for the upcoming winter season, marking a significant expansion for the Doha-based carrier. The airline, which currently connects Doha to more than 170 destinations, has more than doubled its scheduled departures and capacity compared to 2021 levels. This growth comes despite earlier disruptions caused by regional conflicts that forced the cancellation of many flights and the grounding of some aircraft.
Delayed South America Service Finally Launches
Two of the new services are set to begin in November, headlined by the airline’s long-awaited triangular route to South America. The service will connect Doha to El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, and continue to Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, Venezuela. The launch has faced multiple delays, initially planned for July 22, then pushed back to September following a devastating earthquake in Venezuela, and finally to November.
Scheduled data from aviation analytics provider Cirium indicates that the airline will operate the Bogotá and Caracas service twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, starting November 4. The flights will be operated using the airline’s Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, which features four-abreast Qsuite business class seats. This route represents a new destination for the carrier, adding to its existing global footprint.
Returns to European and North American Markets
In addition to the new South American destinations, Qatar Airways is reinstating services to three international markets it previously suspended. In August, the airline resumed its Doha-Philadelphia route, which it last operated in 2022. The service had been handed over to American Airlines in 2023 as part of a partnership, but American Airlines suspended the route in March and withdrew completely in June due to the conflict in the Middle East. Qatar Airways stepped in to fill the gap.
The airline also returned to Tokyo Haneda in July, complementing its existing flights to Tokyo Narita. A more notable return is to Helsinki, Finland. Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to launch direct flights to Helsinki in 2016 but suspended the service in 2022 when its partner Finnair took over. Finnair recently pulled out of the Doha market completely, citing commercial and economic reasons. Qatar Airways is now the only airline operating between Doha and Helsinki, although Emirates has started flying to Helsinki from Dubai this year.
Winter 2026/27 Schedule Expansion
The new routes are part of a broader expansion for the Northern Hemisphere winter season, which runs from October 25 to March 27. Qatar Airways has scheduled approximately 78,872 flights and will offer around 22.5 million seats across its network. During a typical week in November, the carrier will operate more than 1,700 one-way international flights and offer around 500,669 one-way seats.
London Heathrow will see the highest number of departures in the airline’s international network. From October 25, Qatar Airways is increasing its frequency between Doha and London from 49 to 56 weekly flights, representing an 11% increase in capacity. Other international markets with higher frequencies include Jeddah, Riyadh, and Sharjah, each reaching roughly seven daily departures.
Capacity increases are also planned for other major regions. In Australia, the airline will double its weekly services to Melbourne and Sydney from seven to 14 starting December 9. It will also restart services to Brisbane and Perth, offering three and four weekly flights respectively. In Europe, Frankfurt service will increase from 18 to 21 weekly flights from December 7. In North America, service to Montreal will increase from five to seven weekly flights from October 25, a 40% increase in seat capacity.
Source: Simple Flying
