Qatar Airways set for Entebbe

(eTN) – While available information remains sketchy and has in recent days come in bits and pieces, it seems clear, however, that Qatar Airways, the self proclaimed “5 Star Airline,” is set to commenc

(eTN) – While available information remains sketchy and has in recent days come in bits and pieces, it seems clear, however, that Qatar Airways, the self proclaimed “5 Star Airline,” is set to commence daily flights between Doha and Entebbe from early November this year.

A regular source within the Civil Aviation Authority establishment in Entebbe has confirmed that much, but no light could be shed on the type of aircraft the airline intends to use, although there is speculation it would be a single aisle Airbus for the time being.

Flights to Entebbe will close the gap for Qatar Airways in East Africa, as they already fly to Nairobi and to Dar es Salaam, and both destinations recently saw a major boost in the number of flights, serving notice to travelers and other airlines that Qatar Airways sees a strong traffic potential in the region, which it aims to tap into and connect via their hub in Doha to the rest of the world, competing with the likes of Emirates and Kenya Airways on the routes to the Gulf and beyond.

A new mega airport under construction in Qatar will aid further expansion plans by the small countryโ€™s national airline, which has in recent years made waves about their “phenomenal inflight service” according to someone who recently traveled with them from Nairobi and sent in rave reviews to this correspondent.

In spite of flying for many years into Nairobi, and later on to Dar es Salaam, Entebbe โ€“ Ugandaโ€™s international airport โ€“ had been left out so far, and it will be a coup of sorts for the CAA to have attracted Qatar Airways to fly into the country on a daily basis, offering more choices to passengers both from and to Uganda. It is in the latter segment, where in particular tourism and trade can benefit from the added exposure Uganda will be getting, when the airline starts marketing their new destination in earnest across their network.

More seats on more flights normally translates into a lot more visitors to the country, coming to explore Ugandaโ€™s attractive investment opportunities โ€“ including the nascent oil sector โ€“ but also for touring the countryโ€™s national parks and seeing the Pearl of Africaโ€™s scenic attractions from Lake Victoria, over the River Nile to the Mountains of the Moon.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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