Qatar Airways is celebrating its 15-year anniversary of operating direct flights between Nairobi and Doha. The airline commemorated this milestone with a celebratory water cannon salute and delighted passengers with a special performance by national dancers upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO).
Qatar Airways currently operates double-daily flights between Nairobi and Doha serviced by its modern fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class. During the pandemic Qatar Airways helped repatriate over 1000 passengers from Kenya in a time where many airlines were grounding their aircraft, further demonstrating the airline’s commitment to the Kenyan market.
Qatar Airways Vice President Commercial Africa, Hendrik Du Preez, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating this milestone at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Over the past 15 years, Nairobi has demonstrated its importance as a business and leisure market becoming one of our most popular destinations with global travellers. Famed for its safaris and energetic nightlife, Nairobi offers visitors a truly memorable and authentic experience. Residents of Kenya have also benefited from Qatar Airways’ globally connected network and partnerships with local carriers, making us the airline of choice during their travels. Qatar Airways is proud to have provided over a decade of quality international service for our valued travellers in Kenya, and we are looking forward to serving this important gateway for many years to come.”
The addition of passenger flights 15 years ago has greatly benefitted the Kenyan trade and economy as the airline started offering belly-hold cargo capacity for imports and exports. A year later in 2006, Qatar Airways Cargo launched dedicated freighters, introducing significant freight capacity for Kenyan exports, especially perishables such as flowers, fruits, fish and vegetables which are transported mainly to Europe and Middle East. Currently, the cargo carrier operates fourteen belly-hold flights and six freighters every week, offering more than 600 tonnes of combined cargo capacity each way.
By the end of 2020, Qatar Airways will operate to 19 destinations in Africa, including Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Casablanca, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Durban, Entebbe, Johannesburg, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Lagos, Luanda, Maputo, Mogadishu, Nairobi, Seychelles, Tunis and Zanzibar.
In celebration of more than 100 aircraft being fitted with Super Wi-Fi, the airline is currently offering all passengers free on-board Wi-Fi connectivity until 2 January 2021. Qatar Airways now offers the largest number of aircraft equipped with high-speed broadband connectivity in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
Qatar Airways recently announced its voluntary carbon offer programme for passengers in partnership with IATA and ClimateCare. Passengers can opt in to Qatar Airways’ carbon offset programme when purchasing tickets through the Qatar Airways website and mobile application.
By the end of the IATA Winter Season, Qatar Airways’ plans to rebuild its network to 126 destinations including 20 in Africa, 11 in the Americas, 42 in Asia-Pacific, 38 in Europe and 15 in the Middle East. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with daily or more frequencies.
