RwandAir has announced that the second phase of its strategic partnership has begun with Qatar Airways that will deepen their relationship and create hundreds of new travel options for passengers.
Qatar Airways will be RwandAir’s partner in the Middle East, providing seamless connectivity between the African airline’s hub and the Gulf Airline’s global network of more than 160 destinations through the Hamad International Airport in Doha.
In addition to smooth and seamless travel connectivity that will allow customers to choose from a wide range of destinations in the combined networks of both airlines, that is perfectly connected via their home main hubs, this will also make it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination if required, with more frequencies being added to key hubs.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “We’re really excited to be opening up more of the world to our customers through the new interline agreement with Qatar Airways.
“Delivering excellent customer experience is key for us and we know that any traveller flying with Qatar Airways or RwandAir, as part of the agreement, will continue to receive the same unrivalled level of service they’re used to from both airlines.”
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al-Baker said, “This partnership cements our commitment to giving travellers the widest choice of destinations, while providing a seamless, high quality travel experience, which is the goal of both Qatar Airways and RwandAir.
“Africa is a hugely important market for us and this latest partnership will help support the recovery of international air travel and offer unrivalled connectivity to and from a number of new African destinations.”
The first phase of their cooperation saw RwandAir’s Dream Miles members able to fly to more than 140 Qatar Airways destinations using miles earned by flights bought through RwandAir. Qatar Airways Privilege Club members will in turn earn miles when booking RwandAir’s flights, both within Africa and on long-haul routes, to destinations such as New York and London.
An interline agreement is a form of mutual acceptance of travel documentation and baggage for transportation. It gives the right to one airline to issue tickets on the flights of another carrier.
Interline agreements make the journey much easier for passengers who need to travel on more than one airline to reach their destination. Qatar Airways customers can now transit via Kigali to a diverse range of African destinations including Bujumbura, Brazzaville and Libreville.
By Victor Shalton Odhiambo
