Qatar Airways is the world's largest airline in terms of the key Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) measurement according to new data from the Official Airline Guide (OAG). ASK is seats available X distance of flights. Qatar Airways' huge network of more than 1,000 weekly flights to over 130 destinations, provided over 2.6 billion ASKs during March 2021, offering the most flights to international destinations. Qatar Airways never ceased operations and worked to take people home safely and reliably throughout the COVID-19 crisis a process that is still ongoing. The airline also added seven new destinations in the past 12 months including San Francisco and Seattle in the US, Abuja, Accra, and Luanda in Africa, and Brisbane and Cebu in the Asia Pacific region. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “ At Qatar Airways, being there for our passengers, trade partners and corporate customers has been our major focus since the start of the pandemic. We have dedicated ourselves to being the airline passengers can rely on, operating with the highest hygiene and bio-safety standards. We are thankful and proud of the response from our passengers that has enabled us to continue providing the most flexible travel options as the world’s largest airline for international air traffic. This independent data from OAG once again highlights Qatar Airways’ mission to be an airline that passengers and trade partners can rely on now and in the future as we offer unrivaled connectivity with a state-of-the-art and sustainable fleet.” Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by the international air transport rating organization, Skytrax. This follows the airline's 7-Star COVID rating by Airlineratings.com which uses slightly different criteria to Skytrax. And Qatar Airways hub, HIA, is the first and only airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. The airline’s fleet of 53 Airbus A350 and 37 Boeing 787 - the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the industry have made possible the continuation of flights through the pandemic.