Qatar Airways is going to launch passenger flights to Chicago with a reduced schedule from April 10.Originally planned to be daily, the non-stop Doha – Chicago route will now be operated three-times-a-week, rising to a planned daily service from June 15. Chicago will be the airline's fourth US gateway.

In addition, scheduled flights between Doha and Chengdu, the carrier’s sixth point in China, were due to start with three-flights-a-week from March 19, but the route launch has been postponed to a later date. Qatar Airways' corporate planners have been working on adjusting capacity on routes. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said, “We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience of the capacity adjustments caused by the grounding of the 787s, which is out of our hands. We are making every effort to ensure our valued customers are aware of these service updates and are accommodated accordingly.”

Qatar-Barca tie up

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways is also geared up to enter into a strategic partnership with football giants FC Barcelona. With this partnership, the airline’s brand name will appear on first team shirts from the start of the 2013/14 season. Qatar Airways will become the club’s Global Main Partner, signalling the first time the airline has engaged in a sponsorship with a major soccer club.   

The three-year agreement with the runaway Spanish league leaders and former winners of the Champions League will be effective from 1 July 2013. Qatar Foundation will continue its relationship with FC Barcelona as Human Development Partner.

As part of the agreement with Qatar Airways, the airline’s name will adorn, from the start of the 2013/14 season, Barca first-team shirts at La Liga matches across Spain, Champions League matches across Europe, as well as friendly matches, including FC Barcelona’s pre-season tours. The airline will be working with FC Barcelona on creating joint initiatives, centring on added value flight and holiday packages for fans globally, as well as a host of community programmes involving loyal followers across the world ensuring both brands remain at the pinnacle of their respective fields.