Connecting Croatia with the Gulf Region for the first time, Qatar Airways celebrated the launch of its 30th European destination this week, with daily scheduled flights to the Croatian capital Zagreb. The new daily route will be operated via Budapest using Airbus A320 equipment in a two-class configuration, with 12 seats in Business Class and up to 132 seats in Economy.

Following route launches to Azerbaijan and Georgia in February, and last year’s European expansion drive which saw Qatar Airways start services to seven destinations across the Continent – almost half the 15 new routes inducted in 2011 – the addition of Zagreb strengthens the carrier’s footprint in Europe.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker travelled on the inaugural service to celebrate Qatar Airways’ long-awaited arrival into Croatia, and expressed his commitment to further expanding the carrier’s European presence: “Over the past 18 months we have grown our footprint significantly in Europe, and I am very pleased to say that today Zagreb becomes Qatar Airways’ 30thdestination on the Continent, 114thoverall worldwide and first route linking Croatia with the Gulf.

Zagreb and Croatia will be more accessible to travelers from around the world, especially from the Middle East, Asia, and Asia Pacific, taking full advantage of Qatar Airways’ global network without having to connect through busy European hubs. Croatia, with its flourishing tourism industry, remains a popular destination for travellers from the Middle East, Asia Pacific and beyond. “Whether it’s Bangkok, Dubai, Shanghai or Manila, our seamless connections from Zagreb to the East, via our Doha hub, will provide holidaymakers and business travellers from Croatia with a wider network of destinations to choose from,” Al Baker added.

After recent high-profile European route launches, Qatar Airways’ portfolio on the Continent covers a rich and diverse group of cities that also includes Ankara, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Bucharest, Venice, London, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Madrid.

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