Rwanda’s national carrier, RwandAir has announced signing a codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways, that leverages the reach of their respective hubs in Kigali and Doha.
This will offer more options and a more streamlined experience for customers travelling to further destinations, a joint statement released on Wednesday said.
Through this partnership, the Rwandan carrier will also launch new non-stop flights between their Kigali hub and Doha in December, in what could be a gamechanger in regional aviation dynamics, the statement said.
The agreement, which was penned in Doha, between the RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al-Baker, will benefit travellers from across the globe who fly with both airlines.
Both officials say this will expand each carrier’s route network.
“This is a major milestone for RwandAir and marks the beginning of an exciting new journey with Qatar Airways. We are also immensely proud to welcome Doha to our route network, connecting customers with Qatar’s hub and further expanding their flight map” Makolo said.
“This codeshare agreement will give our customers significantly more choice and flexibility, allowing RwandAir to strengthen its global presence and build on its strong and loyal African customer base” she added.
The airline says customers can enjoy the simplicity of buying connecting flights on both airlines using one reservation, with a seamless ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage-check experience that encompasses the entire journey.
“As we continue to grow out of the pandemic, this partnership represents yet another extremely important step on our recovery runway, and we hope to deliver more commitments like this to our customers in the very near future,” Makolo added.
The Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive said the codeshare deal will be of great benefit to both airlines and countries, as travel across the globe begins to pick up.
“We share a very close and collaborative bond with Rwanda and welcome RwandAir’s new nonstop service between Kigali and our home in Doha,”
“With this comprehensive codeshare agreement, we are committed to deliver greater choice and connectivity to our customers in Africa and around the world” Al-Baker said.
He said that the new partnership will help position Qatar Airways in the region and complement the airline’s African expansion strategy.
“As we brace ourselves to meet pent-up demand for travel, I see dynamic partnerships like this one propel travel, tourism and trade firmly on the path to recovery,” he added.
The new codeshare will enable RwandAir customers to book attractive offers to popular destinations in the U.S, such as New York, Washington, Dallas and Los Angeles.
The partnership will also see these offers extend to key European cities, such as London, Zurich and Madrid, and points across Asia, such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.
RwandAir says that those travelling on the national carrier will benefit from outstanding services.
The airline won the award for best airline staff in Africa at the 2021 Skytrax awards.
CU/as/APA