Qatar Airways plans Atlanta flights

Qatar Airways announced plans to launch a new route from Doha to Atlanta starting in July 2016 as part of an expansion of its service to the United States.

The announcement comes as Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and other major U.S. carriers are involved in a spat with Qatar Airways and other Gulf carriers. Delta, United and American airlines say the Gulf carriers get unfair benefits and government subsidies in violation of U.S. Open Skies policy, and have asked the U.S. government to put a freeze on new passenger service during a review of Open Skies agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Doha-based Qatar Airways said Monday that it plans to operate the Atlanta flights on Boeing 777 aircraft with 335 seats. In a press release, it pointed to Atlanta’s role as “the business centre of the southeast region of the United States.”