Qatar Airways and RwandAir have signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement to offer travellers more choice, enhanced service and greater connectivity to more than 65 destinations across Africa and the rest of the world. As part of the deal, the Rwandan flag carrier will also launch new non-stop flights between their Kigali hub and Doha from December.
The agreement benefits travellers from across the globe who fly with both airlines, which expands each carrier’s route network. Passengers can enjoy the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights on both airlines using one seamless reservation system, that simplifies ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage-check processes for the entire journey.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said “We share a very close and collaborative bond with Rwanda and welcome RwandAir’s new non-stop 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. The new partnership will help position Qatar Airways in the region and complement our African expansion strategy. As we brace ourselves to meet significantly increased demand for long-awaited travel, I see dynamic partnerships like this one helping to steer travel, tourism and trade firmly on the path to recovery.”
RwandAir Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Yvonne Makolo, said: “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.
“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. 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.”
The new codeshare partnership will enable customers to book attractive offers across different continents like the U.S., Europe and Asia, and enable customers to fly to different cities like New York, Washington D.C., Dallas and Los Angeles, London, Zurich and Madrid, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. The agreement will further increase Qatar Airways’ footprint in Africa, with access to destinations such as Bujumbura, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.
Additionally, the airlines recently announced loyalty partnerships giving RwandAir Dream Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty members access to each other’s destinations with the opportunity to accrue and redeem miles across their reciprocal route networks. Customers will also have access to the airlines’ airport lounges at their hubs in Doha and Kigali.