Qatar Airways Celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival in the Skies with Mooncakes across China and Asia-Pacific

The national carrier of the State of Qatar brings festive sweets to the sky, delighting passengers departing from 11 Asia destinations on the day of Mid-Autumn Festival

BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach - 13 September 2019 - Qatar Airways is proud to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the skies by presenting passengers with traditional mooncakes on-board all flights from China and selected flights from Asia-Pacific on the day of the traditional Chinese festival.

The sweet festive specialty makes a star appearance on flights departing from 11 destinations in Asia on 13 September.

In addition to all flights departing China on this time-honored holiday - Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Chengdu, Qatar Airways branded mooncakes are also uplifted on outbound flights from six selected destinations in the airline's Asia-Pacific network including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Bangkok and Phuket.

The multiple award-winning airline's selection of mooncakes are crafted following Chinese traditional recipes featuring both red bean and white lotus paste flavours. Each mooncake is individually packed in premium metallic and gold paper box bearing traditional Chinese auspicious emblem with "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival" etched in elegant calligraphy.

Qatar Airways Vice President for North Asia, Mr. Joshua Law, said: "Mid-Autumn Festival is an important occasion for families to get together, indulge in festive meals and enjoy delicious mooncakes. We would like our passengers flying on this special day to enjoy mooncakes with their loved ones on board Qatar Airways. Our mooncakes is a heartfelt gesture to wish all our guests across China and all of Asia Pacific a happy Mid-Autumn festival filled with happiness and prosperity."

Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. On the Gregorian Calendar, it is celebrated on Friday, 13 September this year.

Bearing many names, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Harvest Festival as well as Moon Cake Festival. The roundness of mooncakes symbolises the moon at its roundest and brightest during this period, and is celebrated by many Asian cultures as a family reunion time where families gather under the moonlight to enjoy mooncakes.  

Today, mooncakes come in many different styles and flavours, and are traditionally presented as gifts to relatives, friends and business associates for well wishes.

Qatar Airways was named World's Best Airline during the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2019, and is the only airline in the world that has won the much coveted aviation award five times. The national carrier of the State of Qatar also won the Best Airline in the Middle East, Best Business Class in the World and Best Business Class Award for their flagship Qsuite.

Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft to more than 160 destinations across its hub at Hamad International Airport. The airline recently launched flights to Rabat in Morocco, Izmir in Turkey, Malta, Davao in the Philippines, Lisbon in Portugal and Mogadishu in Somalia. The airline will launch flights to Gaborone in Botswana and Langkawi in Malaysia in October 2019.

About Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating more than 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 160 business and leisure destinations on board a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft. The world's fastest-growing airline has added a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network this year, including Lisbon, Portugal; Malta; Rabat, Morocco; Davao, Philippines; Izmir, Turkey; and Mogadishu, Somalia; and will add Langkawi, Malaysia; and Botswana, Gaborone later in 2019.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named 'World's Best Airline' by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named 'Best Airline in the Middle East', 'World's Best Business Class' and 'Best Business Class Seat', in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted "Skytrax Airline of the Year" title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.

Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry's first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.

Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Oryx One, Qatar Airways' in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline's on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2022 World Cup, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline's own brand message - Going Places Together.

Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world's leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 160 key business and leisure destinations globally on more than 250 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 17 Boeing 777 freighters and five Airbus A330 freighters.