TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA QATAR Airways wrapped-up a very successful week at the world’s largest aviation event – Farnborough Air Show in Hampshire, the UK, gaining social media attention around the globe.

Qatar Airways’ Facebook page had a dedicated link which enabled easy access for viewers to watch live broadcast of the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight display on the first three days of the show. Tens of thousands of viewers watched the broadcast and engaged in live-chat, appreciating the appeal of the new generation aircraft.

It is the first time in Boeing’s 28 year history that an aircraft by the manufacturer has participated in a flying display, enthralling more than 120,000 visitors at the show, comprising guests from the travel trade, media and global aviation enthusiasts.

Qatar Airways remained popular throughout the event as it is the Middle East launch customer of the Dreamliner aircraft. The video of the official unveiling of the aircraft was an instant hit among fans of the airline’s Facebook page, receiving higher number of shares and likes than ever before.

Qatar Airways also introduced a special Twitter hashtag (#Qatar787), which took off during the show by thousands of Twitter users around the globe.

The airline’s commemorative Facebook cover also made a splash, depicting the Dreamliner flying over a beautifully-lit London skyline.

Videos of the Qatar Airways’ official launching of its Boeing 787 aircraft and the airline’s validation flight can be watched at www.youtube.com/qatarairways or www.twitter.

com/qatarairways and www.facebook.com/qatarair ways.

The airline won Skytrax Airline of the Year, Best Airline in the Middle East and the Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East awards at the event.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar al Baker, who has been instrumental in shaping the airline into what it is today, was also honoured with an airline business accolade for leadership.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operation, currently operating a modern fleet of 109 aircraft to 117 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Since the beginning of the year, Qatar Airways has launched flights to Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad, and most recently, Perth (Australia) with many more destinations planned during 2012.