KATHMANDU: Qatar Airways today said that Copenhagen and Barcelona will soon be put on its ever-expanding route network during the summer schedule by end of March, 2010. As the airlines is currently serving Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, non-stop from Doha, the commencement of four weekly flights to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, would boost its Scandinavian presence. After Copenhagen, the airline plans to strengthen its presence in Scandinavia and in Spain with Barcelona being the second city to be connected by Qatar Airlines after Madrid. News of the two route announcements have come just days after Qatar Airways unveiled plans to launch flights to Bengaluru (Bangalore) in southern India, the Turkish capital Ankara and Japan’s capital city of Tokyo over an eight-week period starting in February 2010. The airline also plans to launch flights to Sydney, its second Australian destination, during 2010. With six new routes on the horizon, Qatar Airways will increase its global portfolio from 85 to 91 diverse business and leisure cities across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East, North America and Australasia. The carrier currently operates a modern fleet of 76 aircraft. Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Bakr said, “The airline’s business model continues to prove successful and Qatar Airways is looking forward to yet another eventful year, with 2010 shaping up to being one of our busiest.” Qatar Airways also plans to make 120 destinations by 2013. “At a time when airlines globally are retrenching, cutting capacity, trimming staff, parking planes, or cancelling aircraft orders altogether, Qatar Airways is doing exactly the opposite, remaining well on track to offer the traveling public with greater choice of flights and destinations,” said Al Bakr. “Tokyo is Japan’s commercial and financial centre and was on Qatar Airways’ wish list of destinations for years. It is only now that we are able to serve Tokyo.”