Walter Wafula
16 September 2008
Kampala — Qatar Airways, the national airline of Qatar, a petrodollar-rich Middle East state, has announced plans to fly to Entebbe, hoping to tap into increasing demand for air transport by people doing business between Uganda and Asia.
The move, expected to give Ugandan travellers a chance to experience five-star rated airline services will test the level of traveller loyalty to Emirates Airline, the other only Middle East-based airline that flies to Uganda.
Qatar Airways is one of the six airlines in the world with a five-star ranking for service and excellence awarded by Skytrax, the world's independent aviation industry monitoring agency. The others which were selected by nationals from 95 countries include: Cathy Pacific; Singapore Airlines; Kingfisher Airline; and Asiana Airlines.
While none of these flies to East Africa, Qatar's main competitor will be Emirates Airlines which dominates the route.
While addressing managers of several travel agents in Uganda on September 10, Ms Judy Gow, the sales development manager for eastern and southern Africa, said Qatar Airways has already made the first step which will lead them to starting their operations in Uganda, between 2009 and 2010.
"The Uganda and Qatar governments have already signed bilateral agreements allowing Qatar to land at Entebbe International Airport. What's remaining is for us to make a commercial decision as to when we start operations," she said.
According to her, Qatar Airways is moving into Uganda because of increasing demand for airline services to destinations such as China and India. The two countries are the biggest trading partners of Africa and Uganda in particular.
Ms Gow said each time she has come to Uganda, she has seen the graph of travellers rise. "We are looking at Uganda becoming a hub for East and Central Africa. So coming online can only be better," she said. Statistics from Uganda's Civil Aviation Authority mid this year indicated that annual passenger traffic has risen to over 720,000 this year, from 475,606 in 2004 with majority 68 per cent being international travellers.
Qatar is currently in partnership with Air Uganda, to facilitate the movement of travellers, to Asia aboard its airplanes, by connecting to their destinations through Nairobi, Kenya. Last year, Qatar also added Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, to its destinations and is equally eyeing Angola.
Ms Gow's comment also cements some business investors' beliefs that Uganda is the future hub of the East African bloc.
Qatar Airways which is also rated as the best Middle East carrier, flies to 82 destinations including, France, Germany, China, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia and India. In Africa, Qatar flies to Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Kenya. In Africa, Qatar's main competitors include, Emirates Airlines, KLM, British Airways, Kenya Airways and Brussels Airline.
Mr Albert Ofong, the operations manager of Travel World International, said Qatar is a very new destination with a great business potential for Ugandans.
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