DOHA: Qatar Airways announced a significant increase in capacity to Sweden with the Doha–Stockholm route being expanded to a daily service and a wide body Airbus A330 being deployed from next year.

Beginning March 28, at the start of the Summer 2010 flying schedules, frequency will rise from five to seven-flights-a-week. The larger Airbus A330s will offer passengers in every seat across the Business and Economy cabins with a fully interactive personal audio and video entertainment system.

The expansion widens Qatar Airways’ reach in Scandinavia, with more flights and bigger aircraft offering passengers in the region greater connection opportunities to Stockholm – and more choice to the airline’s Doha hub with convenient onward connections to key business and leisure cities across the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, Far East and Australia.

Convenient flight timings will also offer good connections to Melbourne, the airline’s newest route which is due to be launched on December 6. Qatar Airways has been operating a 110-seat Airbus A319 on the Stockholm route since the Swedish service was launched in November 2007.

Last month, Qatar Airways stepped up capacity to Stockholm from four to five flights a week.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the additional two frequencies making it a daily service next year and larger aircraft demonstrated the airline’s commitment to the Scandinavian market. “Stockholm has been one of our best-performing routes since we launched the service less than two years ago,” he said.

“With flights going full, we have at last been able to announce that very soon larger aircraft will be deployed with more frequency to provide greater choice and an increasingly competitive product.

“I am delighted that we will be offering the travelling public what they fully deserve. More choice of flights and great inflight entertainment not only for travellers to and from Sweden, but also across Scandinavia with great connections to and from the rest of the region.”

Connecting cities include Gothenburg in Sweden; Oslo in Norway; the Danish capital Copenhagen; and Helsinki, capital of Finland.

Added Al Baker: “With the extra capacity being deployed, we are able to spread our award-winning Five Star message to more people in this underserved part of the world.