Summary
- Qatar Airways’ Q3 seats to Africa have increased by 60% versus 2019
- Africa is the airline’s fastest-growing continent
- Qatar Airways has passenger flights to 29 destinations in Africa this quarter, but Windhoek ends in November
For airlines within the Northern Hemisphere, quarter three, from July to September, is crucial because it is after they make most of their money (if any). Evaluation of schedule data shows that Qatar Airways’ Q3 overall seats on the market have risen by 5% versus 2019, its previous best quarter. Nonetheless, its Africa capability has jumped by a jaw-dropping 60%.
Qatar Airways to Africa: Q3
In keeping with OAG, the oneworld member has 790,000 departing seats from its Doha hub to Africa (double for each ways), a continent where a mixed fleet, freight, and partners are crucial. Seats have risen by a substantial 297,000 versus 2019 (+60%) and 22,000 (+3%) over its previous record held in 2022.
Source of knowledge: Cirium. Figure: James Pearson.
Africa is Qatar Airways’ fastest-growing continent/region, although North America (+53%) and the Middle East (+47%) usually are not far behind on a percentage basis. Nonetheless, as a consequence of the top of the Qatar blockade, the carrier has added more intra-Middle East departing seats (+383,000) than anywhere else, helping that region to turn out to be the world’s fastest-growing.
29 African destinations this July-September
Qatar Airways has passenger flights to 29 destinations this quarter, with one-stop routes vital. While Africa seats have risen, its network has reduced by one year-on-year. It is because Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, can’t be served as a consequence of that country’s conflict and the shortcoming of airlines to serve and even overfly it.
(Q3 2023 network.) Image: OAG.
Previously few years, multiple places have been added, including Abidjan (2021), Accra (2020), Abuja (2020), Harare (2021), Kano (2022), Luanda (2020), and Port Harcourt (2022).
As a result of the top of the blockade with Egypt, Cairo and Alexandria returned in 2021. They were joined by the Namibian capital Windhoek in 2022 and Marrakech – the big and tourist-driven Moroccan city – in June 2023.
What about Kinshasa and Juba?
Qatar Airways had previously announced Kinshasa and Juba in 2023, but neither opened on the market. It’s unclear in the event that they have been postponed or entirely cut. Multiple international carriers proceed to serve South Sudan’s Juba, including flydubai.
Had Kinshasa – one in every of Africa’s biggest cities with 17 million people within the metro – materialized, Qatar Airways would have gained a head start over Emirates, which is more likely to launch when its A350s and 787s start to reach. Dubai-Kinshasa previously saw flydubai.
Photo: KeleX Pictures | Shutterstock.
Windhoek ends in November
Despite only rejoining Qatar Airways’ network in June 2022, having first been served in September 2016, Windhoek will see its last flight by the carrier on November twenty first. The 4,003-mile (6,442 km) route runs three weekly using the Boeing 787-8, with passengers sure for Germany, France, and China critical.
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The exit could pave the best way for Air France or Turkish Airlines to Windhoek. Nonetheless, OAG/Cirium shows that Qatar Airways has scheduled flights to return in April 2024, suggesting it may turn out to be Northern Hemisphere summer seasonal. This shouldn’t be (yet?) shown on the airline’s website.
Where else would you just like the airline to fly in Africa? Tell us within the comments.