Qatar Airways is a Finalist for Best Long-Haul Airline at the
2026 Travelling for Business Awards, confirming the Gulf carrier's standing among UK business travellers. Few airlines have done more in the past decade to raise expectations of what long-haul flying should feel like, in the air and on the ground.
The proposition starts with reach. This summer Qatar Airways is
serving more than 150 destinations worldwide from its Doha home, Hamad International Airport, one of the most efficient and admired transfer hubs in aviation. From several UK airports, including Heathrow and Manchester, that translates into smooth one-stop access to Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Middle East, with departure timings built around both the working day and the overnight connection. As a oneworld member whose loyalty currency is Avios, the airline also slots neatly into the programmes UK corporate travellers already run, making it an easy addition to an existing British Airways-centred policy.
The onboard product remains a benchmark. Qsuite gave business class its first proper doors and configurable suites, and the carrier's premium cabins continue to define what corporate flyers expect at the front of the aircraft. Just as relevant to working passengers is connectivity: Qatar Airways has been
rolling out complimentary Starlink Wi-Fi across its Boeing 777 fleet — among the first carriers in the world to do so at scale — with the Airbus A350 fleet next in line. Fast, free broadband over the ocean changes what a long sector can accomplish.
Consistency underpins it all. The airline's cabin crew training, catering and ground handling are managed to a famously exacting standard, and the transfer experience at Hamad — short connections, calm terminals, extensive lounges — removes much of the friction that long-haul itineraries usually carry. Premium passengers routing through Doha have the airline's flagship Al Mourjan lounges at their disposal, and tight minimum connection times keep total journey times competitive with nonstop alternatives on many itineraries.
Its place among the 2026 Finalists recognises a carrier that has combined scale with polish: a network broad enough to serve almost any corporate itinerary, and a product consistent enough to be booked with confidence. The winners will be announced at the 2026 Travelling for Business Awards, and Qatar Airways will be a formidable contender in any company.
