Qatar Airways and British Airways are two major international airlines, and both play a prominent role in the global aviation and airline industry. Qatar Airways is the flag carrier of the Persian Gulf country of Qatar, and British Airways is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom.
Qatar Airways was founded in 1993 and is operated by the Government of Qatar. British Airways was founded in 1974 by a merger between BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation, founded in 1939) and BEA (British European Airways, founded in 1946).
Qatar Airways is headquartered in Doha, Qatar, and its major hub is at Doha International Airport. British Airways is headquartered in Waterside, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, and its two major hubs are London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
Qatar Airways flies to 84 destinations in 52 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. British Airways serves 150 destinations on all the populated continents and is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance.
At the current time, Qatar Airways has 68 aircraft in its fleet with an additional 158 aircraft on order. British Airways has 234 aircraft with an additional 51 aircraft on order. The fleets of both airlines consist of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. British Airways flies more Boeing 747 jumbo jets on its long-haul routes than any other airline.
Skytrax, the major airline industry review-and-ratings consulting firm, named Qatar Airways as one of only six five-star airlines, the highest quality industry rating, and a quality Approved Airline. British Airways is ranked as a four-star airline.
