Qatar Airways yesterday inaugurated the airline’s fourth United Kingdom (U.K.) gateway, with direct flights between Doha and Birmingham.

The inaugural flight touched down at sunrise on 30 March and was greeted by a traditional water salute, witnessed by a crowd of gathering media.

Qatar Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Hugh Dunleavy was on board the inaugural flight as well as the UK Ambassador to Qatar, His Excellency Mr. Ajay Sharma.

The Birmingham route is operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a two-cabin configuration, comprising of 22 seats in Business Class and 232 Economy Class seats.

All seats include individual television screens, with Economy Class customers benefitting from a screen 10.6 inches wide, offering the latest inflight entertainment comprised of up to 3,000 options, complimented by the airline’s award-winning service.

Qatar Airways now operates 73 flights per week to the U.K. with 42 flights per week to London Heathrow, 16 to Manchester, 7 to Edinburgh and 8 to Birmingham.