May 24: Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to London's Gatwick Airport touched down on Wednesday, May 23, where it was welcomed with a celebratory water salute. The new double daily service, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, makes London's Gatwick the award-winning airline’s sixth gateway into the United Kingdom and second gateway to London, the airline said in a statement.

The company said that the new route will provide even more flexibility and convenience to passengers travelling to London, and will offer enhanced connectivity for passengers flying from the United Kingdom to Qatar Airways’ extensive global route network of more than 150 destinations.

"Over the summer period, flights to London Gatwick will further increase to 16 services per week on the popular route," the statement said.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said, “Qatar Airways is delighted to be expanding its reach in both London and throughout the UK. Earlier this month, we launched direct flights to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, clearly demonstrating our continued commitment to this market. We are very proud of our strong and extensive trade ties with the UK and look forward to offering our loyal passengers the chance to explore the newest and most exciting destinations within our global network.”

Qatar Airways said it will operate 95 flights to the UK per week, including six daily departures to London's Heathrow, 16 weekly departures to London's Gatwick and Manchester, and daily flights to Cardiff and Edinburgh, alongside seven flights per week to Birmingham this summer.

The Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner features 22 seats in business class, and 232 in economy class.