Qatar Airways announces next African destination

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Come December 4 of this year, Qatar Airways will commence flights to the Eritrean capital of Asmara.

Come December 4 of this year, Qatar Airways will commence flights to the Eritrean capital of Asmara. The twice-a-week service will be operated using an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 business class and 132 economy class seats. The flights will leave Dohaโ€™s new Hamad International Airport every Thursday and Saturday and return from Asmara every Friday and Sunday, offering direct network connections both ways.

When making the announcement, Qatar Airwaysโ€™ Chief Executive Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: โ€œWe are very pleased to be reinforcing our presence in Africa with the launch of scheduled flights to Asmara, allowing us to further expand our business on the African continent. There is clearly demand and huge potential to and from Eritrea, one of the many underserved markets in Africa. As a global five-star carrier we are constantly looking for new opportunities to fulfil the needs of the travelling public from such markets and for those wanting to travel there from the more than 140 destinations that we serve around the world.โ€

Qatar Airwaysโ€™ media release mentions Eritrea as: โ€œStrategically located by the Red Sea, the economy of Eritrea has experienced considerable growth in recent years as the country has capitalized on its extensive deposits of natural resources such as copper, gold, granite, marble, and potassium. Capital city Asmara also has much to offer the leisure traveler being a city steeped in rich architecture and culture.โ€

As the only Gulf airline with a membership in a global airline alliance, the oneworld launch of flights to Asmara also provide alliance partners with access to yet another African destination. The airline presently operates a fleet of 134 aircraft but has a staggering number of 340 aircraft on order, including 100 B777X announced at the recent Farnborough Air Show in the UK. Qatar Airways is also expecting delivery of their first Airbus A380 later this year after delaying the maiden delivery to reconfigure their First Class cabin to become the best available in the global skies.

In Eastern Africa, Qatar Airways serves Entebbe, Kigali and Kilimanjaro with daily and Nairobi and Dar es Salaam with multiple daily frequencies using their Airbus A320.

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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