Qatar Airways partners with Royal Challengers Bangalore

Qatar Airways partners with Royal Challengers Bangalore

As of today, Qatar Airlines is the Official Front of Jersey Partner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), a club cricket powerhouse.

The Bengaluru-based cricket team will play its inaugural game on April 2 against the Mumbai Indians during the Indian Premier 2023 season, which runs from March 31 to May 28. RCB's home stadium, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, staged an unique "Unboxing Event" with 40,000 spectators in attendance that included cricket legends, celebrities, team officials, and players including Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glen Maxwell. The RCB team trained in front of amused spectators, and the Qatar Airways cabin crew then welcomed the players at a special jersey unveiling ceremony.

Cricket fans may now book all-inclusive vacation packages through the airline's leisure subsidiary, Qatar Airways Vacations, to watch an IPL game at the specially designed Qatar Airways hospitality area at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The packages will also provide fans access to exclusive events including watching practice sessions, signing memorabilia, player meet and greets, getting their picture taken with Virat Kholi, and more.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar Al Baker, said:  "We embark on a new journey with the addition of the Royal Challengers Bangalore to our extensive sports portfolio. The team has a passionate fanbase and a well-represented list of cricket legends that have played for the team. Cricket is a global game with a world-wide audience and is a powerful means of uniting people of different backgrounds. From start to end, our RCB packages will take the fan experience to the next level with a seamless journey to witness world-class cricket and entertainment.”

“Qatar Airways regards India as an important market where we operate non-stop flights from 13 Indian cities. Our operations from India also serve connections to 13 cities in North America and 35 cities in Europe through our hub - Hamad International Airport, which was awarded Skytrax World’s Best Airport award for the past two years. We are excited to partner with RCB over the next three years in what we trust will be a successful alliance."

Chairman of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chief Commercial Officer of Diageo India, Prathmesh Mishra, said: “We are thrilled at the potential of the RCB - Qatar Airways partnership. The synergies between both brands serve as a robust platform to build a very strong marketing association over the next three years and beyond. Qatar Airways has a strong demonstrative history of activating world class sports marketing partnerships and we hope the RCB partnership is just as successful. The partnership and its activation will be a benchmark in the Indian sports ecosystem and adds to the aspiration of RCB on its pathway to becoming a global cricketing powerhouse and a lifestyle brand.”