Qatar Executive (QE) was announced in 2009 at the Paris Air Show, marking a strategic move by Qatar Airways to expand its presence in the global corporate travel industry. As the airline’s private jet subsidiary, Qatar Executive operates as a ‘floating fleet’. This ensures journeys are optimised, quickly and efficiently providing aircraft to clients, while helping to maintain sustainable practices by minimising flying between separate journeys. The Luxury Report spoke to a representative of Qatar Executive to learn more about this elite service.
You’ve just had an exciting addition to the fleet, please tell us about this.
Qatar Executive: Yes, in May of this year Qatar Executive took delivery of the first of its world- renowned Gulfstream G700 – the newest and latest US FAA certified aircraft in its class. The aircraft has caused some excitement for its performance, enhanced cabin environment and technical excellence. Combined with our unparalleled service and hospitality, we aim to always exceed our clients’ expectations and the Gulfstream G700 helps us achieve this. Our decision
to add the Gulfstream G700 to our existing fleet of 15 Gulfstream G650ER stems from our commitment to offer the very latest in aircraft technology. We want to provide the most advanced capabilities, to demonstrate our commitment to redefining ultra-long-range private jet travel. As Gulfstream’s first international customer, QE currently owns four G700s, with plans for an additional six deliveries in the near future.
The G700 surpasses industry standards, offering extended range, increased speed, and elevated cabin comfort. Its revolutionary design prioritises performance, passenger wellbeing, and sustainability, meeting the requests and demands of QE’s discerning clients.
The G700’s spacious interior, 10 feet longer than the previous flagship, the G650ER, enhances comfort and provides more room for passengers. Powered by Rolls- Royce Pearl 700 engines, the G700 boasts a range of 7,750 nautical miles (14,353km) at Mach 0.85, ensuring an unparalleled travel experience. The aircraft is also capable of significantly higher speeds – Mach 0.9 over distances up to 6,750 nautical miles, which can reduce flying times by an hour or more. By being the first to acquire the G700, Qatar Executive solidifies its position as a global leader in business and private jet charter services, aligning with its commitment of offering exceptional travel solutions that redefine the industry’s standards at the highest level.
What makes the G700 unique, and what does it offer to passengers to ensure the best onboard experience?
QE: Offered exclusively by Qatar Executive, the Gulfstream G700 operates at the pinnacle of aviation excellence, offering passengers an unparalleled flying experience. Its unique features include the most comfortable cabin in business aviation, with four distinct cabin zones, including a private bedroom, that ensures passengers arrive refreshed.
Passengers benefit from the industry’s lowest cabin altitude, reducing the adverse effects of travel fatigue. The cabin environment provides 100% fresh air, cycled through the cabin every 2-3 minutes and also utilises plasma ionisation to remove harmful airborne bacteria.
The cabin experience is further enhanced by whisper- quiet technology reducing engine-noise into the cabin to help ensure a serene and comfortable environment throughout the journey. Additionally, the G700 features Gulfstream’s revolutionary lighting system, allowing passengers to adjust lighting to simulate different times of the day, aiding in minimising jet lag.
The aircraft’s spacious and innovative interior design and layout reflects QE’s commitment to its discerning passengers. With a large galley, and four living areas – including a private bedroom – passenger comfort levels are elevated to new heights. Qatar Executive’s investment in the G700 underscores its commitment to providing the finest business and private jet charter services.
Besides G700, what the main advantages of flying with Qatar Executive – what sets you apart from the competition?
QE: Qatar Executive utilises smaller, more private airports offering flexible departure times. So passengers enjoy a swift border control process and personalised travel experiences. We prioritise privacy and discretion, ensuring anonymity for our passengers, while always maintaining an impeccable safety record with pilots and cabin crew trained to commercial airline standards.
In terms of our attention to detail, Qatar Executive caters to diverse culinary preferences, ensuring dietary needs and specific cuisines are met. As mentioned, our Gulfstream aircraft offer the most advanced technology for the ultimate onboard comfort. These features contribute to a very comfortable and rejuvenating travel experience, especially during ultra-long-range flights.
In essence, Qatar Executive distinguishes itself through its commitment to providing an exclusive and personalised service. We offer the safest possible travel experiences, making it the preferred choice for those seeking true excellence and convenience in private aviation.
We hear you focus on the tiniest details to ensure your clients are happy. Please give us some examples.
QE: Yes, Qatar Executive pays close attention to the ambiance of the journey by adapting cabin aesthetics, such as changing the flowers inside the aircraft based on the clients’ preferences. Special occasions are made truly memorable with personalised surprises arranged by our team, such as flowers and cakes for honeymoons, adding an extra personal touch.
Qatar Executive also caters to families travelling with infants and children by offering toys based on their age and gender, as well as preparing toys and bed mats for pets. Regular passengers receive special recognition. We anticipate their preferences and prepare their favourite chocolates or flowers, without them having to request it. This dedication and attention to detail demonstrates Qatar Executive’s commitment to exceeding passenger expectations.
Ultimately, our clients choose Qatar Executive for its unmatched level of service that is tailored to individual preferences, and its unwavering dedication to creating memorable, bespoke travel experiences. We look forward to welcoming you on board and becoming part of the unique group of clients who choose to fly with Qatar Executive.
Further information
On your website you mention working with over 300 clients and have over 1,000 whisky casks under management. Please expand on the significance of these numbers.
I started Whisky 1901 in 2019 with a mission to connect investors with the right whisky cask based on their unique circumstances, including investment goals, budget, timelines, and risk appetite. Today, we’ve grown the business to have a client base in excess of 300 investors, with 1,000 casks under management. I’m pleased to say that whisky investment is no longer limited to ultra-high net worth individuals and industry insiders, with casks starting from £5,000, cask investment is accessible to many.
At Whisky 1901 we make it our mission to create a safe haven for our clients’ investment. As part of the investor journey, our clients receive quarterly updates to stay informed about the current performance of the whisky market. Additionally, every two years, they receive a detailed analysis of their specific cask investment, including projected ROI based on current market prices.
Over the past two years, we have also been in the process of moving our investors’ casks into two purpose- built bonded facilities in the Scottish Lowlands. This move enables us to closely monitor the maturing product, including regauging, reracking, and bottling, as well as providing investors with greater transparency over the performance of their portfolios, regardless of the distillery of origin. The move also means our investors can visit their barrels in our Glenrothes facilities in Fife by appointment.
Our clients are also invited to exclusive annual whisky tasting evenings held in London and Scotland. These events provide a unique platform for our portfolio managers to personally connect with clients, fostering long-lasting and meaningful relationships throughout the duration of their investment with Whisky 1901.
When it comes to exiting the market, there are various strategies available for investors, from selling the casks to other investors or at auction, to consuming cask whiskies. We offer support and guidance to investors wishing to re-sell their cask onto the whisky market, but we also offer a bottling service to those investors who are looking either to consume, gift or sell their product once the spirit has matured in the barrel. We will cover all the costs associated with bottling, including transporting the cask from the company’s Lowlands Bond to the bottling hall, weighing, and disgorging.
Explain how Whisky 1901 uses digital technology to enhance the customer experience.
Since the inception of Whisky 1901, we have always believed that the customer journey should be at the heart of everything we do. From day one, we have understood that while whisky cask investment is inherently a ‘hands- off ’ process, the experience should be as engaging and transparent as possible for our clients. Our goal is to provide a seamless, interactive platform where investors can always stay connected to their portfolios.
We are currently using stock management software to efficiently track the journey of our casks from purchase to transfer of ownership to clients. And we are developing tools that allow our clients to not only to track their portfolio’s performance, but view their casks in real-time through digital portals, offering a unique glimpse into the physical assets they hold. They will be able to view the casks they own and see the location within the warehouse. They will be able to request to move casks, view a timeline of the cask’s movements and request a regauge of a cask to provide forecasting. In addition to the traditional investment metrics, this access to real-time data on the casks themselves, right down to their exact storage conditions, brings a new level of transparency.
Ultimately, our investors benefit from data captured during regauging which offers them and us a better understanding of the alcohol by volume (ABV) and liquid levels. This information provides a greater understanding of the longevity of a cask, enabling us to advise our clients on how long they should continue to invest and/or the right time to sell or bottle the product.
By building bespoke software tailored to our clients’ needs, we are empowering them with the visibility and control they want, which is essential in today’s market where clarity and trust are paramount. This digital transformation is not just about improving operational efficiency, it’s about reinforcing the relationship we have with our clients, ensuring they feel informed, confident, and connected every step of the way.
What are your goals for the business over the next 5-10 years?
In the next five to ten years we will look to continue bottling and launching our own range of whisky called The Collection. Last year we launched our first bottled whisky – a rare Glenburgie 1988 single cask expression aptly named Edition One as it’s the first of The Collection. This spring, we hope to launch our second bottle in The Collection series. And then many more to follow.
We have also recently joined the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS), supporting our mission to be the number one cask investment firm for independent bottling, delivering award-winning Scotch whisky to the retail and consumer markets. Our ambition is to have multiple award-winning bottles as part of our range being sold in UK stores nationwide.
We’re proud to be able to source some of the finest casks of single malt whisky from the five whisky regions of Scotland for our 300 plus investment clients. Our independent bottling line – The Collection – enables us to share some of these special casks with a wider audience. Some casks are from well-known distilleries, others from distinguished hidden gems.
The business has been successful over recent years. We celebrated revenues of £7.2m in 2023, an increase of 227% on £2.2m in 2022, and we are excited to see what the future holds for Whisky 1901.
Further information
