Last month Qatar Airways expanded its reach in South Africa with the official launch of a four times a week Durban-Doha service. The airline already flies daily from Cape Town and double daily from Johannesburg.

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways CE, said he expected high load factors on the route to Durban, both in terms of leisure tourism and corporate travel. He said the development of the Dube Trade Port in Durban offered “tremendous opportunities” for further growth in Durban and South Africa. “Qatar is one of South Africa’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and adding Durban to our existing South African routes will further strengthen the bond between the two countries, especially in the tourism sector.”  

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Al Baker said it was high time that Qatar Airways and the other Gulf carriers expanded in Africa to bring more competition to the aviation sector on the continent. He said African carriers were currently undercapitalised and neglected by their governments. “African governments should subsidise their national carriers in order to let them stand on their own feet. Once that happens, and people have confidence that the airline is safe, there is huge potential.

“Africa is an underserved continent with the largest potential for growth. The continent has been starved of proper air services for a long time. On the few air services available, I think the airlines have really taken the African people to the cleaners. It is obvious that airlines like us and our Gulf colleagues need to operate to Africa in order to give the African people connectivity, good value for money, a high standard product and respect as passengers,” he added.

Qatar Airways flies to Durban on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, using a Boeing 787. The flight, which makes a stop in Johannesburg, leaves Doha at 07h45 to arrive in Durban at 17h35. The return flight departs Durban at 18h45 to arrive in Doha at 06h20 the next day.

Premier of KZN, Edward Senzo Mchunu, commented that direct long-haul air services from Durban were the lifeblood of the province’s economy. “We want to believe that connectivity between KZN and Qatar is going to grow leisure tourism and trade in leaps and bounds.”