Qatar Airways has revealed the  airlines aggressive expansion plans and 16 new destinations for 2018 - 2019.

The announcement was made by  Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker in a press conference held at ITB Berlin, the worlds largest international travel fair.

At the press conference, H.E. Mr. Al Baker announced a raft of forthcoming global destinations for the airline in line with its expedited expansion plans, including the announcement that Qatar Airways will be the first Gulf carrier to begin direct service to Luxembourg. 

 "Qatar Airways is tremendously excited to announce further expansion with a significant number of new destinations to be added to our extensive global network throughout 2018 and 2019. This is a direct reflection of our commitment to connecting travellers across all corners of the world in a way that is meaningful and convenient to them." Said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker.

"We are committed to continuing our ambitious growth strategy, in order to be able to provide our passengers with as much choice as possible and to take them anywhere in the world they wish to go."

Exciting new destinations to be launched by the airline include London Gatwick, United Kingdom; Cardiff, United Kingdom; Lisbon, Portugal; Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum, Antalya and Hatay, Turkey; Mykonos and Thessaloniki, Greece; and Mãlaga, Spain.

IN addition services to Warsaw, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Prague and Kyiv will increase to a double daily frequency, while services to Madrid, Barcelona and the Maldives will increase to triple daily.

Further developments for the upcoming year were discussed, including additions to the airlines sporting sponsorship portfolio. Qatar Airways is already the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia,â„¢ the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatarâ„¢ and the FIF" Club World Cupâ„¢, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airlines own brand message.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA). Just last month, the airline welcomed the Airbus A350-1000, for which it is the global launch customer.