QATAR AIRWAYS RELAUNCHES DOUBLE DAILY FLIGHTS TO NAIROBI AND 3 WEEKLY FLIGHTS TO KIGALI
(Posted 06th August 2020)
The air is getting thin for Entebbe as neighbouring countries benefit from the reopening of their airports at the expense of Uganda, forcing leading airlines to stay away from the country’s international airport which remains closed for scheduled passenger flights.
Qatar Airways earlier today announced their return to the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi with double daily frequencies while resuming a three times a week service to Kigali / Rwanda.
Kigali was in the past served in combination with Entebbe as often as 10 times a week, using a Boeing B787 aircraft for the route. With the Ugandan government however still pondering over the question if to reopen the airport or keep it closed, did Qatar Airways have to make a decision and left Uganda out of their present schedule.
With the addition of Kigali and Nairobi, the airline now operates 33 weekly flights to eight destinations in Africa including Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Tunis.
Being one of the largest passenger carriers during the pandemic with a promised steady schedule that never dropped below 30 destinations, the national carrier to the State of Qatar connects many passengers seamlessly via its award-winning home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) to key destinations via its rapidly expanding network including Europe, Americas, Asia and Pacific via Doha.
Qatar Airways has a strong relationship with Kenya and Rwanda with almost 15 years of operations to Nairobi and eight years of operations to Kigali. The award-winning airline began scheduled services from Nairobi on 15th of November 2005 followed by Kigali on 24th of March 2012 and Mombasa on 09th of December 2018.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to resume flights to Nairobi and Kigali, totalling our flights to 33 weekly flights into Africa with eight destinations. Qatar Airways continues to maintain an expanding schedule with now more than 500 weekly flights to over 75 destinations. During the pandemic, Qatar Airways have become the largest global carrier to maintain its schedule in taking people home with the highest safety measures. Our wide network of flights during these challenging times has ensured we have kept up to date with the latest in international airport procedures. We also implemented the most advanced safety & hygiene measures on board our aircraft and in our home and hub at Hamad International Airport which was recently voted the Best Airport in the Middle East for the sixth year in a row. Qatar Airways has been the most reliable airline during the pandemic and will continue to ensure its promised five-star service and hospitality is delivered across its network. We hope to see many people come visit Kenya and Rwanda and explore the world’s stunning wildlife and more.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic Qatar Airways Cargo continued operating its scheduled twice-weekly with A330 freighters and four times weekly with Boeing 777 freighters to Nairobi along with freight charters. These flights provided much required capacity, supporting exporters and importers and bringing in essential medical supplies. With the resumption of passenger flights to Nairobi, the cargo carrier will operate 20 flights in total, offering more than 700 tonnes of cargo capacity each week, each way.
Qatar Airways has further enhanced its onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew. The airline has introduced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew which includes gloves, face masks, safety glasses and a new protective gown that is fitted over their uniforms. A modified service that reduces interactions between passengers and the crew inflight has also been introduced.
Onboard, all Qatar Airways passengers are now provided with a complimentary protective kit. Inside a ziplock pouch they will find a single-use surgical face mask, large disposable powder-free gloves and an alcohol-based hand sanitiser gel. The airline has also introduced disposable face shields for adults and children. Passengers travelling from Hamad International Airport (HIA) will receive their face shields at the check-in counters, whereas at other destinations, the face shields will be distributed at the boarding gates.
To ensure travellers can plan their travel with peace of mind, the airline has extended its booking policies to offer even more choice to its passengers. The airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original destination. The airline will not charge any fare differences for travel completed before 31st of December 2020, after which fare rules will apply. All tickets booked for travel up to 31st of December 2020 will be valid for two years from the date of issuance. For full terms and conditions visit www.qatarairways.com/RelyOnUs.
