- From pioneering connections to premium innovations, the airline marks a double milestone in India with a special inflight menu curated by Michelin-starred Indian Chef Garima Arora.
India, 18 July 2025 – Qatar Airways, named the World’s Best Airline for a record ninth time by Skytrax, proudly marks a landmark double anniversary in India this year: 20 years of operations to Delhi on 14 July 2025, and 30 years to Kolkata on 31 October 2025. These milestones highlight the airline’s unwavering commitment to one of its most strategically important and culturally rich markets.
Qatar Airways started its operation in India in 1994 with Mumbai as its first Indian gateway, and has since grown to an extensive network of 13 Indian cities, with Kolkata joining the network in 1995, and Delhi in 2005. The airline currently operates 100 weekly flights across 13 Indian cities, including 14 flights per week from Delhi and seven flights per week from Kolkata. This robust schedule ensures seamless travel for business and leisure passengers alike, with extensive connectivity to Europe, the UK, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East via the award-winning Hamad International Airport in Doha.
In the last fiscal year 2024/25 alone, Qatar Airways flew over 2.4 million passengers in and out of India. Notably during the COVID-19 global pandemic, Qatar Airways operated throughout the entire pandemic period to provide connectivity, and safely flew over 1.8 million passengers in and out of India between April 2020 to March 2022 in aid of global repatriation efforts.
Qatar Airways Cargo contributes significantly to India’s import, export and trade industry, with a weekly cargo capacity of 2990 tonnes into India and 2990 tonnes out of India, operating 120 flights each week, out of which 20 flights are Boeing 777 freighters.
“We are incredibly proud to celebrate these two significant anniversaries in India,” said Karthik Viswanathan, Qatar Airways Vice President of Sales, Middle East, Caucasus, Pakistan & the Indian Sub-Continent. “Since serving the Indian market with our inaugural in 1994, we’ve built strong bonds with our Indian passengers, partners, and stakeholders—relationships that are rooted in service excellence, trust, and a shared vision of global connectivity. India continues to be a cornerstone of our global network, and we look forward to many more years of shared success.”
As part of this year’s double celebrations, Qatar Airways is proud to announce a special business class menu collaboration with world-renowned Chef Garima Arora, a two-Michelin-starred chef and the first Indian female to helm a restaurant with such distinction. Launching in September 2025, this bespoke menu aims to elevate the inflight dining experience by showcasing India’s rich regional flavours, featuring signature appetizers, mains, and desserts designed exclusively for Qatar Airways’ business class cabin.
“Qatar Airways is proud to showcase our Indian culinary milieu through this partnership with Chef Garima. Not only do we hope to delight our passengers with exceptional onboard business class dining, it’ll allow us to celebrate India’s heritage in a uniquely memorable way and on an international platform with a global audience,” said Viswanathan.
Qatar Airways investment in premium onboard experience and its commitment to working with top culinary talents around the world have earned the airline a reputation as a leader in aviation. Qatar Airways achieved the ‘World’s Best Business Class’ for the twelfth time in 2025, in addition to being awarded ‘World’s Best Airline’ for a record-breaking ninth time in 2025. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, taking home, ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge’, and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. Qatar Airways currently flies to over 170 destinations worldwide, via one seamless connection through Hamad International Airport, the ‘World’s Best Airport’, as voted by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024.
