Qatar Airways expands in Africa, lands in Kinshasa

14 Jun 2024

Qatar Airways has opened up a new gateway in Africa, connecting Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This strategic move by the airline will improve air connectivity across the African continent and will forge stronger economic and business prospects as well as cultural ties.

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The new route promises to connect Kinshasa to the world via Qatar Airways’ Doha hub, Hamad International Airport. This brings the total number of African destinations served by the airline to 29.

Kinshasa, which is the capital of the DRC, is the third largest city in Africa, after Cairo and Lagos. Also serving as the economic hub of the country, Kinshasa presents different opportunities for investment and tourism.

The bustling city, nestled along the Congo River, is also known for its cultural diversity, lively music scene and pristine nature; attracting both urban explorers and nature enthusiasts.

Enhanced connectivity across Africa

Qatar Airways group chief executive officer, Engr Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, says: "At Qatar Airways, we recognise the immense potential in Africa. We are dedicated to enhancing connectivity throughout the continent, enabling seamless access to business and leisure opportunities.

"We look forward to offering our passengers travelling to and from the DRC convenient travel options through our award-winning hub, Hamad International Airport."

The four weekly services will also increase capacity to Angola, raising the number of flights to Luanda from one to four. The addition of Kinshasa also complements the airline's over 170 weekly flights across Africa, emphasising Qatar Airways' commitment to enhancing connectivity throughout the continent.

There has been strong growth in the market with nine (9) new destinations operated by Qatar Airways in Africa since December 2020. Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Kano, Luanda, Lusaka, and Port Harcourt are the African cities newly added to the extensive Qatar Airways network, while Cairo and Alexandria were resumed.

In addition, Qatar Airways schedules in most of the African markets have been optimised in the last 12 months to ensure convenient connectivity to China. It is also the case with Luanda, and now Kinshasa with this new flight that conveniently connects with key markets such as Belgium, France, Portugal and the Middle East.