Qatar Airways becomes first Middle East airline with cargo hub in Africa

Qatar Airways becomes first Middle East airline with cargo hub in Africa

Qatar Airways Cargo has launched its first cargo hub in Africa in collaboration with RwandAir, Rwanda’s flagship carrier, in a bid to tap into the high aerospace growth projected for the continent.  

Gulf News reported Thursday that a Qatar Airways Cargo Boeing 777 freighter landed at Kigali International Airport to officially open the new hub in the Rwandan capital. The aircraft will fly from Doha to Kigali twice a week, the report said.

Since March, the Middle Eastern cargo airline has been operating three times a week between Kigali and Lagos as well as running a weekly service between Istanbul to Kigali via Doha.

Qatar Airways Cargo already serves 28 African cities, providing freight services. 

Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways, said in a statement that while African economies are developing rapidly, they need investment in infrastructure to reach their full potential.

“Qatar and Rwanda have long enjoyed bilateral trade agreements, with both Qatar Airways and Qatar Investment Authority having previously invested in Kigali International Airport and RwandAir," he said, adding, “It was therefore a logical step that Qatar Airways Cargo supports RwandAir in its cargo ambitions. Our customers will benefit from both a reliable intra-African network through our Kigali hub as