Qatar Airways, recently named Airline of the Year by industry audit Skytrax, is also the only Five Star-ranked carrier to operate scheduled flights to Sofia, connecting Bulgaria and the surrounding regions of the Balkan Peninsula with more than 100 destinations worldwide. Qatar Airways’ flights to and from Sofia operate with a brief stop in the Romanian capital, Bucharest. With the Sofia – Bucharest connection, Qatar Airways also offers Bulgarian and Romanian business and leisure travellers the opportunity to take advantage of this new air link and the opportunity to sample the airline’s award-winning service on short sectors. Visitors to Sofia have the opportunity to explore the city and its rich history, spanning over 200 years. While for foreign holidaymakers, Bulgaria’s main lure are the sandy beaches of the Black Sea coast, the country also offers lush mountains and forested landscapes, ideal for hiking, skiing and wildlife watching. The Sofia-Doha route is served with an Airbus A320 aircraft featuring up to 12 seats in Business Class and up to 132 seats in Economy. The aircraft offers seatback TV screens providing passengers with the next generation interactive onboard entertainment system featuring a choice of more than 700 audio and video on demand options. Over the next three months, Qatar Airways will expand its services to the Norwegian capital Oslo, beginning October 5; Entebbe in Uganda from November 2; and the Chinese city of Chongqing on November 28. Flights to Baku and Tbilisi, the capitals of Azerbaijan and Georgia, respectively, will be launched on February 1. By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to serve more than 120 destinations worldwide with a fleet of over 120 aircraft. The airline currently has a fleet of 99 aircraft. Qatar Airways will operate flights to between Doha and Sofia on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. QR943 will depart Doha International Airort at 0825 hours and arrive Sofia at 1530 hours. The return flight (QR944) will depart Sofia at 1725 hours and arrive Doha at 2355 hours