• The aircraft followed a unique flight path to form the symbol of breast cancer awareness above Qatar, which was displayed in real-time by flight tracking sites

• Qatar Airways’ ‘Think Pink’ flight was operated entirely by females

Qatar Airways has shown its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by ‘drawing’ a symbolic pink ribbon in the sky. Flight QR9901 took a special route to create the ribbon image above Qatar with its unique flight path being displayed in real-time by popular flight tracking sites.

The ‘Think Pink’ flight was exclusively operated by women – from the ground operations, technical, and dispatch teams to the flight deck and cabin crew. QR9901 took off from Hamad International Airport (HIA), on Saturday 17 October at 09:00 AM local time, and landed back 65 minutes later after completing its special flight.

The unusual flight path attracted the attention of many people who tracked the Qatar Airways flight throughout its duration and tuned in live to watch QR9901 drawing the Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon in the skies above the Qatar.

On-board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the most technologically advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft in Qatar Airways’ fleet, female passengers – who were invited as special guests of the airline – received an exclusive ‘Think Pink’ service including an announcement from the captain, pink-themed food and beverage treats along with Qatar Airways ‘Think Pink’ wristbands and limited edition pink BRICs amenity kits.

On-board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the most technologically advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft in Qatar Airways’ fleet, female passengers – who were invited as special guests of the airline – received an exclusive ‘Think Pink’ service including an announcement from the captain, pink-themed food and beverage treats along with Qatar Airways ‘Think Pink’ wristbands and limited edition pink BRICs amenity kits.

Qatar Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is a very strong supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all the incredibly hard work that goes into research and development to help beat breast cancer. Together we hope to reach as many people as possible, and help save lives.”

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms Salam Al Shawa, said: “Qatar Airways is committed to supporting the fight against breast cancer. Our efforts and focus on raising awareness to our tens of thousands of employees, passengers, as well the wider community reflects Qatar Airways’ dedication towards this cause.”

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Nationalisation and Special Projects, Nabeela Fakhri, said: “Qatar Airways is dedicated to spread awareness of breast cancer. This year we have planned a range of awareness-raising initiatives to encourage everyone to take all the necessary precautions to ensure their wellbeing. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to ensure that cancer patients’ early detection and screening services should remain a priority.”

Flight QR9901 is the latest in a month-long programme organised by the award-winning airline in October to raise awareness of breast cancer prevention and control for its thousands of employees worldwide, as well as passengers and the general public.

Earlier this month, Qatar Airways introduced an exclusive ‘Think Pink’ experience for passengers in the sky as well in its lounges, offering custom-designed limited edition amenity kits and pink-themed special menus on select flights throughout the month of October.

Qatar Airways now operates over 700 weekly flights to more than 100 destinations, providing more flexible travel options to more global destinations than any other airline. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times. Its home and hub, HIA, was recently ranked ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ and ‘Third Best Airport in the World’ by the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2020.