Qatar Airways launched its services to Canada with the touchdown of its inaugural flight QR 927 at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal following a 13-hour non-stop journey from Doha. Montreal is Qatar Airways\' eighth new destination of the 15 expansions scheduled this year. The Canadian city becomes the Qatari carrier\'\'s fourth major stop in North America after New York, Washington DC and Houston. Mayor of Montreal Gerald Tremblay, Quebec Minister of Transport Sam Hamad, Qatar’s Ambassador to Canada HE Salem Al Shafi; Canadian Charge d’Affairs to Qatar Gary Luton and Aeroports de Montreal Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James Cherry were among the dignitaries present at the reception ceremony. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker led a delegation of top officials and international media from Qatar, Dubai and India on the inaugural flight hailed the latest destination as a significant step forward in the award-winning carrier\'\'s ambitious plans. Thanking the Canadian Government and the senior management of the airports in Montreal and Quebec, Al Baker said, \"I am delighted we have finally reached your shores to become the only Gulf carrier serving Montreal. Qatar is a global player in a number of industries, including oil and gas, a sector which both my country and Canada share a common bond.\" Qatar Airways is truly global, marked by its headquarters in Doha which is a strategic location on map which facilitates transferring passengers, tourists and business travellers between the East and the West, Al Baker said. With the start of the new flight, travelling to New Delhi, Mumbai, the Seychelles, Bangkok, Singapore, Maldives, Dhaka and Tehran would be easy for travellers from Canada, he added.   Speaking on the occasion, Aeroports de Montreal President and CEO James Cherry said, \"The entire team at Aeroports de Montreal is delighted by the arrival of a carrier as prestigious as Qatar Airways and the addition of such a major destination as Doha, with connections to some one hundred other cities, including eleven in India alone. The arrival of Qatar reinforces our vision for Montreal-Trudeau, which is to accentuate the airport\'\'s role as a hub for travel between North America and Eurasia.\" Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay, expressing delight at the latest airline to arrive in the city, said, \"We are pleased and proud that Qatar Airways has chosen Montreal for its very first direct connection with Canada. From now on it will be easier for residents of our two cities to foster exchanges and promote all kinds of new collaborations.\" Quebec Minister of Transport Sam Hamad said, \"It\'\'s an honour for Quebec to now be part of Qatar Airways\'\' destinations. The arrival of this prestigious five-star airline, combned with the dynamism of the Montreal area, will encourage profitable exchanges in all activity sectors for the citizens of both countries and the surrounding countries. \" Montreal - Canada\'\'s second largest city - in the province of Quebec, is a bilingual metropolis and the second biggest French-speaking city in the world after Paris. Qatar Airways is operating its flagship Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft on the route, configured with 42 seats in Business Class and 217 seats in Economy. Each seat offers a fully interactive audio and video entertainment system with more than 900 programming options to choose from. Apart from Montreal, Qatar Airways has added seven destinations to its international map this year - Bucharest, Budapest, Brussels, Stuttgart, Aleppo, Shiraz and Venice - and is gearing up for more route expansion with a further seven cities being inducted by the end of 2011. Qatar Airways, voted the \'\'Airline of the Year 2011, currently operates a modern fleet of 98 aircraft to over 100 diverse business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.