Excitement is building over next week’s launch of Virgin Australia services to Doha, Qatar, under its strategic partnership with Qatar Airways, with a new premium inflight dining experience set to simultaneously take off.
The inaugural Virgin flight from Sydney to Doha is scheduled for 12 June, with subsequent services from Brisbane and Perth launching on June 19 and June 26, respectively. Melbourne will join the route network later in the year, with flights commencing on 1 December.
These flights will use Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and will also feature the Doha-based airline’s on-board product and its acclaimed Qsuite Business Class.
“These extra flights to Doha and the partnership with Virgin make it a very exciting time for the Australian consumer,” Qatar Airways Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand Justin Kestel said at a media event at Woodcut restaurant in Sydney yesterday.
The Barangaroo venue was selected because on the same date, 12 June, Qatar Airways will also launch a new premium inflight dining experience curated by acclaimed chef Ross Lusted, who owns Woodcut. This will eventually be rolled out across Qatar Airways first and business class services between Qatar and Australia. The offering will also feature on the Virgin Australia Doha services. “On board service, food and dining is such an important part of the Qatar Airways world-class service that we deliver,” Kestel said. “We really want high-end quality, restaurant service and food delivery, and that is what this partnership with Ross will deliver.” Lusted, who also owns Marmelo in Melbourne, shared the new menu with media yesterday, serving dishes such as the seared cured fish plate, Skull Island king prawns and black angus beef tenderloin. The Woodcut offering will be refreshed every three months, with Ross set to oversee four menu cycles. Qatar Airways Senior Vice President for Product Development and Design Xia Cai shared her enthusiasm for the Woodcut partnership. “We understand onboard dining plays a key role in defining the travel experience in the premium segment,” she said. “We are proud to offer our Australian passengers a menu that celebrates Australian produce and culinary creativity, while maintaining the high standards Qatar Airways is known for as we provide world-class cuisine and thoughtful service onboard.”Meanwhile, Lusted shared the reasoning behind his decision to work with the airline. “Whenever an opportunity comes along, you say, ‘How does this fit with our ethos?’ And for me, it was the perfect fit,” he said. His focus on quality Australian produce – like tuna from Port Lincoln and premium Australian beef – will now be served at 30,000 feet. “We have a very sophisticated dining environment in Australia,” he noted. “It’s very exciting to see Qatar leading the way… and just to make a small part of that is very exciting. “It’s really nice to see that these dishes from Woodcut are going to be in the air.”
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The Barangaroo venue was selected because on the same date, 12 June, Qatar Airways will also launch a new premium inflight dining experience curated by acclaimed chef Ross Lusted, who owns Woodcut. This will eventually be rolled out across Qatar Airways first and business class services between Qatar and Australia. The offering will also feature on the Virgin Australia Doha services. “On board service, food and dining is such an important part of the Qatar Airways world-class service that we deliver,” Kestel said. “We really want high-end quality, restaurant service and food delivery, and that is what this partnership with Ross will deliver.” Lusted, who also owns Marmelo in Melbourne, shared the new menu with media yesterday, serving dishes such as the seared cured fish plate, Skull Island king prawns and black angus beef tenderloin. The Woodcut offering will be refreshed every three months, with Ross set to oversee four menu cycles. Qatar Airways Senior Vice President for Product Development and Design Xia Cai shared her enthusiasm for the Woodcut partnership. “We understand onboard dining plays a key role in defining the travel experience in the premium segment,” she said. “We are proud to offer our Australian passengers a menu that celebrates Australian produce and culinary creativity, while maintaining the high standards Qatar Airways is known for as we provide world-class cuisine and thoughtful service onboard.”Meanwhile, Lusted shared the reasoning behind his decision to work with the airline. “Whenever an opportunity comes along, you say, ‘How does this fit with our ethos?’ And for me, it was the perfect fit,” he said. His focus on quality Australian produce – like tuna from Port Lincoln and premium Australian beef – will now be served at 30,000 feet. “We have a very sophisticated dining environment in Australia,” he noted. “It’s very exciting to see Qatar leading the way… and just to make a small part of that is very exciting. “It’s really nice to see that these dishes from Woodcut are going to be in the air.”
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