Effective March 21 Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, will begin daily flights to Rwanda’s Kigali International Airport on.
Joining the airline’s aggressively expanding route map, Kigali is the third destination launched by the carrier so far this year and latest to the African continent.
Operating via Entebbe, Kigali becomes Qatar Airways’ 17th route in Africa, joining its ever-growing global network that currently spans 112 destinations. Further expansion is planned across East Africa during 2012 with new services to Mombasa, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.
Qatar Airways already has a successful operation to neighbouring capital cities of Entebbe, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “We are pleased to be reinforcing our presence in Africa with the addition of scheduled flights to Rwanda, allowing us to further expand our business on the African continent.”
Rwanda is fast emerging as a growing economic centre, forming strong trade links with Europe and the Far East, thanks largely to its rich mineral resources.
For passengers travelling on Qatar Airways, they will have convenient access to Rwanda via the airline’s strategically positioned Doha hub, and expansive global route network.
The launch of Qatar Airways in Rwanda will give business travellers and tourists alike with daily flights to Doha and beyond. Key markets include Hong Kong, Thailand, India, China, the United States and United Kingdom, all served by Qatar Airways.
Added Al Baker: “There is clearly demand and huge potential to and from Rwanda, one of many underserved markets across Africa. As a network global carrier we are able to fulfill the needs of the travelling public from such markets and for those wanting to travel there from destinations we serve around the world.”
The exposure of Rwanda to the world through the airline’s global network will enable the country to attract more tourists, with several attractions focusing on wildlife and natural scenic beauty.
At the recent ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel show held in the German capital, Rwandan dancers performed traditional pieces for visitors on Qatar Airways’ exhibition stand to showcase and promote the new Kigali route.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 106 aircraft to 112 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.
During 2012, Qatar Airways launches 14 new routes from Doha, namely Baku, Tbilisi, Kigali, Perth, Zagreb, Gassim, Helsinki, Belgrade, Erbil, Baghdad, Yangon, Mombasa, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.
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