Qatar Airways seeks to double US network

Montreal Qatar Airways plans to start flights to Atlanta, Chicago, Boston and Detroit within the next year, doubling its US network, as the carrier begins receiving Boeing 787 Dreamliners. A daily New York service will also be increased to three flights a day, with the addition of links via cities in eastern and western Europe, chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said on Thursday in Montreal. The airline currently operates daily flights to Washington and Houston. "Qatar Airways is in the midst of a very aggressive expansion plan," Al Baker said. "The only thing that stopped us from going earlier is the delayed delivery of the 787s," he said about the US flights. The carrier has placed orders for 60 Dreamliners as it works toward boosting its global network to 170 destinations from 113 over three years. Like Emirates and Etihad Airways, the carrier is using a Middle East hub to link markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Qatar Air also plans to resume services to Rangoon, Myanmar in October, Al Baker said. The carrier's order backlog also includes 60 A350s and 10 A380s made by Airbus. Boeing began delivering 787s last year ending more than three years of delays caused by struggles with new materials and production techniques. From gulfnews