Pandas sent by China arrive in Qatar ahead of World Cup final – report
A total of four aircraft including a Boeing 747-8 that arrived at the Doha International Airport on Wednesday morning were carrying the national team for the World Cup final.
Sporting fans are waiting outside the Qatar Airways’ arrival hall that is set for final game
Chinese national teams arrive ahead of the World Cup final
Qatar Airways confirmed to AFP that China’s and South Korea’s aircraft were carrying the national teams for the final with flights from Beijing and Seoul.
Ahead of the World Cup final, Qatar Airways said it had flown over 3,000 Chinese and South Korean customers to the country.
Qatar Airways’s chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “The guests were all chosen based on their economic importance to the world, and are either high-ranking officials or famous personalities.”
The World Cup final will be played on Saturday with hosts Qatar and hosts United States hosting the final
A Chinese national flag carrier has confirmed to AFP that its aircraft was carrying the national team ahead of the final.
Beijing-based Air China sent four Boeing 747-8 aircraft for the final of the World Cup, which is to be played on Saturday.
Air China, the country’s main airline, is owned by the state-owned Chinese aviation giant China Eastern Airlines.
It said the airline’s flight operations were responsible for landing the final four aircraft.
The airline said in a statement that it had sent four Boeing 747-8 aircraft to serve the team in Doha, including one carrying the Chinese national team for the final.
Air China has not supplied further details on the aircraft, but it is understood that two of the aircraft have been operated by Airbus and two Boeing aircraft.
Qatar Airways did not provide further details on the other aircraft.
The World Cup final to be played on Saturday. The match will be shown live on pay television, in a first for Qatar and for any international match in the Middle