A Qatar Airways plane taking on the African skies. Picture: Instagram
As part of its efforts to meet summer travel demand, Qatar Airways is set to increase its number of flights to Entebbe, Uganda, by an additional three a week.
The carrier announced it will move from offering a daily service, to operating 11 weekly flights between Doha and Entebbe from August 1 to September 30 this year.
According to the carrier, the increased flight frequency came as part of its aim to improve air connectivity across Africa and forge stronger economic, business and cultural ties.
Qatar Airways vice president Africa, Hendrik du Preez, said the increased frequency now guaranteed improved connectivity for passengers travelling from Uganda to the US, Asia, Europe and North Africa.
“It also supports the growth of trade and tourism between Uganda and Qatar, while offering convenience for point-to-point passengers to save a day’s travel due to the early arrival in Doha,” said Du Preez.
The vice president added that Africa – with 18% of the world’s population and making up less than 2% of air transport activity – was an untapped market with increasing travel and business opportunities.
“We are expanding connectivity throughout the continent by increasing the number of destinations we serve, and the frequencies we offer, and through partnerships with African airlines,” he said.
According to Du Preez, the increase in Entebbe flights was indicative of Qatar Airways’ dedication to the Ugandan market, and was set to boost the growth of Uganda’s exports.
“The additional flights follow the introduction of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in the Qatar Airways network of more than 170 global destinations.
“The new route connects the DRC with the Middle East, Europe and Asia like never before. Kinshasa is served with four weekly flights that have also added capacity to Angola, with the number of flights to Luanda increasing from one to four,” said Du Preez.
The carrier also revealed that Kinshasa had joined a growing list of new Qatar Airways destinations in Africa since December 2020, which included Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Harare, Kano, Luanda, Lusaka and Port Harcourt. Flights to Alexandria and Cairo had also been resumed.
“Qatar Airways currently offers 180 flights per week to various destinations across Africa. When codeshare partners are included, the number expands to over 900 weekly flights across the continent,” said the carrier.
It said that over the past 12 months, it had also optimised its schedule in most African markets to improve connectivity to Europe, China and the Indian subcontinent, through its award-winning hub, Hamad International Airport.
According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), the aviation industry currently supports 7.7 million jobs in Africa and $63 billion of the continent’s GDP, of which $44 billion is generated by tourism in the region.
“The upside is significant for both the aviation sector and the continent. According to Iata, Africa’s passenger traffic is forecast to nearly double by 2035, and will exceed 263 million passengers, up from 134 million carried in 2022.
“Qatar Airways’ rapid expansion in the continent, the partnerships it has secured, and its continued pursuit of opportunities position it well to contribute to this growth,” said Du Preez.