After the launch of its flights to Melbourne, Qatar Airways has moved its regional office for pacific from Tokyo to Melbourne. Moving of its hub will allow travelers more convenient access to more than 80 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America.

Melbourne was the airline’s 85th destination and the carrier has said it plans to launch flights to Sydney or Perth as well, but a spokesman couldn’t confirm when that would be. The airline has rapidly expanded since its launch in 1997 – under the leadership of CEO Akbar Al Baker, noted for his colorful language in speeches and briefings.

Al Baker, described as a "money cruncher", was hired in the late ’90s to run the airline by the Emir of Qatar, who saw the importance of having a flagship which would improve its visibility in world tourism. Qatar Airways operates scheduled flights from Doha to cities across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, the Far East and North America. It will launch services to Tokyo in April as well as Copenhagen, Ankara and Barcelona this year.

Flights between Jakarta and Doha will now be direct and no longer link through Singapore. A Qatar flight from Melbourne to London, including a 45-minute stopover in Doha, takes 21 hours, 40 minutes – said to be the shortest time from Australia to London. Over 30,000 Australians live and work in the Gulf region – so the airline’s also aimed at expats returning home. Both the airline and tourism bodies also hope Middle Eastern tourists will visit here.