Qatar Airways Launching Service To Caracas, Venezuela??
Intro
Qatar Airways has long been known for its extensive route network covering all six major continents. However, Qatar has just come out with its latest planning in its ever-growing network, and I've gotta say I am a little surprised by one small detail.
Qatar Launching Bogota Flights
Qatar Airways has recently filed with the necessary regulators in Colombia requesting permission to fly to the capital of Colombia. QR has requested to fly this route twice weekly with an A350-1000 and/or 777-300ER. However, the interesting detail is that the airline plans to operate the return flight with a technical stop in Caracas, Venezuela.
Supposedly, the stop in Caracas is purely a re-fuelling stop due to the altitude of the Bogota airport. ULR routes out of Bogota are tedious due to aircraft not being able to take off at MTW, and with this route covering 8261 miles, it's not possible.
For reference, this would be the second South American market Qatar would serve after GRU. Considering Emirates just launched their Miami-Bogota service, it seems the demand is currently high to the capital of Colombia.
Why Venezuela?
Okay, before I speak my mind, I must admit that I have traveled to a lot of places that "frowned upon" visiting. Now, I really want to visit Venezuela, but to me, this route addition doesn't make sense in a couple of regards. I hold nothing against Venezuela at all, a place that is supposedly unbelievably beautiful and a place I would die to go to...
In a passenger's mind, having a stopover on the return in Caracas could be something that throws them off when going to book. Look, if you don't travel much and you hear "Welcome to Caracas," you might be a little thrown off. However, I think there are three potential reasons:
Fuel prices. When I say gas is cheap in Venezuela, you can fill up a motorbike for about 50 cents (if you are paying). Jetfuel is slightly different, but supposedly, it is extremely cheap as well.
I'm unsure if Qatar will be transporting cargo on this route (or if this is really just a fuel stop). I would imagine that there could be some profitability when it comes to cargo on this route.
Qatar might be looking to add Caracas in the future, and this could be a good way to look at the market (I'm just spitballing). If they can handle twice weekly service of an A350/777, then perhaps they can get into the market. Supposedly, TK does decently on the route as well (CCS-IST).
Caracas is one of the top 5 places I want to visit in the world, but I just can't comprehend why Qatar wouldn't choose Curacao as the stopover instead. It might be a few extra miles out of the way, but it has an 11,000-foot runway and could be good for a route like this.
Final Thoughts
Qatar Airways has just announced that they plan to add their second destination in South America: Bogota. However, due to the altitude of Bogota, Qatar plans to operate the return flight with a refueling stop in Caracas. I think it is due to the price of fuel, but I would love to hear your thoughts!
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