Qatar Airways has announced that it is expanding its operations in Africa with an additional three flights a week to Entebbe, Uganda, in a bid to meet summer demand. Starting 1st August to 30th September, the airline will move from a daily service to operate 11 weekly flights between Doha and Entebbe.
The increased flight frequency comes as part of Qatar Airways’ aim to improve air connectivity across Africa and forge stronger economic, business, and cultural ties.
Qatar Airways Vice President for Africa, Hendrik du Preez, said, “The increased frequency now guarantees improved connectivity for passengers traveling from Uganda to the USA, 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.”
According to Du Preez, the increase in Entebbe flights is indicative of Qatar Airways’ dedication to the Ugandan market, and is 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.
Over the past one year, Qatar Airways has optimised its schedule in most African markets to improve connectivity to Europe, China and the Indian subcontinent through Hamad International Airport. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the aviation industry currently supports 7.7 million jobs in Africa.
“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,” added Du Preez.