Qatar Airways yesterday operated its largest twin engine aircraft, the Boeing 777 to Entebbe and Kigali for the first time, a move that the airliner says demonstrates its commitment in Africa and in response to strong demand.
The state-of-the-art aircraft features 24 seats in Business Class and 388 in Economy class. The airline marked this special occasion with every customer receiving a unique amenity kit and cupcake on board.
Qatar Airways Vice President Africa, Hendrik Du Preez, said: “We are proud to be the leading international carrier connecting Rwanda and Uganda with Asia, Europe, the US and Middle East. From 33 routes at the height of the pandemic, we have rebuilt our global network to more than 900 weekly flights to over 130 destinations, supporting the Rwandan and Ugandan diaspora with more flexible and seamless travel options to visit family and relatives. Today’s flight operated by our largest twin engine aircraft demonstrates our agility to respond to our passengers and operate the right aircraft to meet both passenger and cargo demand. We hope to see this trend continue as we move out of the pandemic.”
Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. This follows HIA’s recent success as the first and only airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These recognitions provide assurance to passengers across the world that airline health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.
Passengers can book flights with peace of mind, knowing that Qatar Airways offers unlimited date changes and fee-free refunds for all tickets issued before 30 April 2021, for travel completed by 31 December 2021. The carrier’s industry-leading flexible booking policy also provides the permanent feature of exchanging tickets for a travel voucher with 10% additional value for all customers booking travel via qatarairways.com. For full terms and conditions visit qatarairways.com/Flexibility.
Passengers travelling from Africa can also enjoy enhanced baggage allowances with up to 46kg in economy class and up to 64kg in business. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and social distanced Business Class product in the sky. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 45 destinations including Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne and New York. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.
