Why Qatar Airways is preparing for ‘pain’ during World Cup in its country

Large sporting events are often known for their athleticism and big shows of national pride by the host. A successful Olympics or World Cup can go so far as to put a country on the map in terms of global recognition. But these events are often a different story for airlines. They can be a drag on revenues — potentially even loss makers — as lucrative business travelers, and other non-event related trips, are postponed or ditched completely during these periods. That’s what Qatar Airways is preparing for when its namesake country hosts the Federation Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) World Cup later this year, from November 21 to December 18. “It is a pain that we will have to take, and it is only for a period of 30 days,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said of the sporting event at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK on Tuesday. While Al Baker did not go as far as to say the airline would lose money during the matches, Qatar Airways will suspend flights or reduce schedules to more than 30 destinations around the world. It will also revamp its schedule at the Doha airport in order to “release” space for other airlines to add flights during the World Cup, he added. Destinations that will see reduced service are ones where few spectators are expected to travel to see the matches, for example from countries that did not qualify for the cup.<br/>Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, Tanzania, and Mogadishu, Somalia are among destinations that Qatar Airways will suspend during the cup, Cirium schedules show. At the same time, the airline will add flights to other markets, including Chicago O’Hare and Madrid. Overall, it will operate 10% fewer flights globally in November, when the World Cup begins, than during the month before.<br/>