Jetex, based at Al Maktoum International Airport, is seeing an increase in demand for World Cup charter flights to Qatar. Private carriers in the UAE are also reporting an increase in bookings. The main reason is rising prices for commercial flights. As Jetex founder and CEO Adel Mardini comments, enquiries began as early as November 2021 and are increasing as the championship approaches. “One can only imagine the potential for demand. There have been around 17 million requests for match tickets, of which only 2 million are available,” Mardini said.
As noted by Alarabiya, around 1.5 million people are expected to attend the month-long tournament. Qatar has a very extensive accommodation programme that includes many options. It will be possible to stay in hotels ranging from two to five stars. There will be a sale of cabins in “floating hotels”. There will be campsites for fans in the desert. It will be possible to rent apartments from the private sector. In total, more than 130,000 rooms will be available. This compares with previous World Cups and meets all peak occupancy estimates.
The flight from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Doha takes just over an hour, with Qatar Airways flights from Dubai to Doha for 20 November currently costing $1700 (6150 UAE Dirhams) per single ticket. Due to rising demand, Jetex is in talks with Qatar to allocate additional slots during November. Mardini said that given the cost, especially if people want to travel in first or business class, a group of six or more people on a private charter “is actually a very good value alternative”.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is due to take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022.
Photo: jetex.com, qatarairways.com
