Qatar follows Etihad into India

Middle Eastern airline Qatar has followed its rival Etihad in targeting the Indian market, announcing a wave of expansion in the area August 30.

The Doha-based carrier announced a 20 percent expansion in frequency to the country, adding an additional 14 flights per week on both established routes and emerging destinations such as Amritsar and Cochin.

Another daily flight will be added between Doha and Delhi, meaning a twice-daily shuttle between the two capitals.

India is by far Qatar Airways' biggest market in terms of destinations served - with the airline's planes flying to 11 cities across India every day, it makes up ten percent of its international network.

Last week, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad announced a new marketing program targeting India, fronted by Indian actress Katrina Kaif, describing the country as "one of our most important markets."

According to research by the UN World Tourism Organization, outbound travel from India is set to explode in the coming years, with 50 million Indians traveling abroad by 2020.

http://www.qatarairways.com