Qatar Airways has announced that it is boosting its service to Nigeria with the launch of four weekly flights to Kano (KAN) on March 2, 2022, and three weekly flights to Port Harcourt (PHC) on March 3, 2022, both operating via the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
The airline currently operates two daily flights to Lagos and four times a week to Abuja, which will expand to a daily service in March. Kano and Port Harcourt would become the seventh and eight new African gateways launched by Qatar Airways since the start of the pandemic. Both routes would be served by the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy Class.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The airline was one of the few to keep operating to many African destinations throughout the pandemic and, as restrictions are lifted, is continuing to expand its network on the continent. As home to the largest economy and population in the region, we see tremendous growth potential for travel and trade in Nigeria. It is a key market and an important part of our African growth strategy; the expansion of our presence across two new gateways is a testament to our continuous commitment to Nigeria.
“We anticipate good reciprocal demand between Port Harcourt, UK, USA and destinations across Asia. For Kano we see the opportunity to grow traffic to and from markets such as KSA and India, as well as strong cargo prospects.”
The airline said as travel restrictions ease, Qatar Airways would restoreits services to all its African destinations.
“When Kano and Port Harcourt flights start operating, the airline will provide 188 weekly flights to 28 destinations in Africa. Qatar Airways African customers will also benefit from generous baggage allowances, which provide for up to 46kg in Economy Class split over two pieces and 64kg split over two pieces in Business Class,” it stated.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. The airline added that it continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021).
