Qatar Airways begins flights to Goa

Holidaymakers planning to visit India now have a new travel option following the launch of flights to Goa by Qatar Airways.

The carrier is offering four weekly flights on the non-stop route from Doha.

People travelling from Europe will benefit from "excellent connections" at Qatar Airways' hub, the airline claimed.

The service is operated by an Airbus A320 offering 12 seats in business class and 132 economy spaces.

Qatar Airways has been steadily increasing its presence in India this year, with a new service to Amritsar being introduced at the beginning of October.

The carrier operates flights to eight other cities across the country, including Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

Chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said: "Qatar Airways is delighted to have extended its reach in this wonderful country of India with the arrival of our first flight to Goa."

He added: "Furthermore, being the start of the winter holiday season, Goa will see a huge influx of holidaymakers from across the world, especially Europe."

In December this year, the airline will launch flights to Melbourne, its first destination in Australia, with a route to Sydney being introduced shortly after.