May 15 - Qatar Airways is increasing flights and capacity despite the depressing economic scenario, said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker on Friday. Al-Baker was talking to reporters at the Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2010), pointing out that the economic downturn has opened up several venues for Qatar Airways.

"When there is an economic crisis there is an opportunity and that's exactly what Qatar Airways is doing. We are trying to use the airline's capability to tap existing potential by enhancing frequencies and capacity," Al-Baker added.
The carrier, he said, is experiencing a double-digit growth even in these tough economic times. "When you compare March and April we have seen a 27 percent growth, which is by all means tremendous achievement," he said.
In fact, the airline had just one aircraft stuck in Europe during the volcanic ash cloud fiasco last month. "In that sense we lost revenues but we saved money as well by not operating on the affected routes," he said.

Starting from June 7, the airline will start daily flights to Barcelona, making it the only Gulf carrier flying to Spain. The airline already has flights to Madrid. Meanwhile, the Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires routes will also be launched on June 24.