Qatar Airways is plotting its return to Mykonos as Greece opens to tourists to the country once again. The Doha-based carrier will offer a thrice-weekly service starting from May 14th, just as summer leisure traffic picks up. The route will be served by Qatar’s Airbus A320’s once it resumes in May.
Resuming
Qatar Airways will officially return to the island of Mykonos this summer, boosting its summer leisure travel offerings. The announcement comes soon after Greece’s Tourism Minister confirmed that the country would reopen to foreign travelers from May 14th. The services to Mykonos will resume on the same day, with Qatar hoping to see a surge of bookings thanks to the announcement.
Qatar will continue to use the 132-seat Airbus A320 for the four-and-a-half-hour flight from Doha. However, flights will operate at a slightly lower frequency than before, only flying thrice a week on Monday, Friday, and Sunday. Qatar Airways first started this seasonal route flying to Mykonos in June 2018, the first Middle Eastern carrier to do so.
Flight timings are also well-suited for holiday travelers. Flights will leave Doha at 07:30 AM and arrive in Mykonos at 12:05 PM local time on Monday, Friday, and Sunday. The return leg will depart the island at 13:05 and arrive back in Doha at 17:05 local time. The flight takes 4.5 hours on the outbound leg and four hours during the return flight.
Moving quick
Heavily dependant on tourists, Greece has been optimistic about its tourism reopening this summer. According to Traveling Lifestyle, the country will reopen to all tourists from May 14th, subject to health requirements. All passengers above 2 years will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken 72 hours before the flight. Additionally, travelers will take a rapid test upon arrival in Greece to ensure they are not infected.
For many who have been vaccinated around the globe, restrictions will be a lot more relaxed. While details are yet to be announced, it is possible that vaccinated passengers (with proof) can skip the on-arrival rapid testing. Overall, Greece and airlines are preparing for a major influx of tourists this summer.
Qatar Airways is banking on connecting traffic from across Asia and the Middle East to see passenger numbers rise on the route. However, reopening plans and demand could change depending on the COVID-19 situation in Greece. For now, it might finally be time to prepare for that long-awaited beach holiday!
Qatar’s A320
Qatar Airways’ A320 offers 132 seats in a two-class layout, with 12 in business class and 120 seats in economy. The cabins have been refurbished in recent years to include lie-flat seats in business class and a modern, 3-3 economy cabin. The A320’s have proven to be quite versatile and have been deployed on six to seven hour-long flights during low demand.
Will you visit Greece this summer? Is Qatar Airways your preferred airline? Let us know in the comments!
