Qatar Airways taking off

Qatar Airways plan to expand its route network by adding three new destinations in the United States to its list, the airline company’s CEO Akbar al-Baker said on Thursday. 

The new U.S. destinations are Detroit, Boston, and Atlanta, Baker told USA Today newspaper. 

While he did not disclose the launch date, he said that the company has “plans for 15 to 16 destinations in the network next year.”

The airline currently flies to New York, Washington, and Houston. It will include Chicago in April next year, he said.

Earlier this month, Qatar Airways became the first of the major Gulf-based airlines to sign for a global airline alliance, Oneworld alliance.

Baker was quoted saying that he was not worried about the current situation of American Airlines, a key carrier in Oneworld, after its decision to file for bankruptcy.

“I think it is just a restructuring of the cost base,” he said.

Oneworld members will be able to access markets across the Gulf and wider Arabian Peninsula that the alliance currently does not serve. Qatar airways currently has a network of 120 destinations, covering 70 countries, flown to by a fleet of 111 aircrafts.

The airline is set to move its services to the new Doha International Airport in 2013, an airport designed to strengthen Doha’s position as a key global hub with a planned capacity for 50 million passengers per year.