Page 22 - World Airnews Magazine April 2021

AIRLINES

A BIGGER BOEING FOR AFRICA

atar Airways has demonstrated
Qits commitment in Africa. In
response to strong demand, the airline has
operated its largest twin-engine aircraft,

the Boeing 777 to Entebbe and Kigali for
the first time.

“This aircraft will be operating on Monday,

Wednesday, and Friday. Its official flights

started Monday this week due to an increase
in the number of passengers from 200
passengers on average over 400 passengers
per day,” the Qatar Airways vice president
Africa, Hendrik Du Preez, said recently.
He said that by June this year, they will be
operating four times a week.

“Frequency will increase in June and we

shall be operating on Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday, and Sunday. The state-of-the-art

aircraft (B777) features 24 seats in Business
Class and 388 in Economy class compared
to the dream liner Boeing B787 which

carries 22 business class and 232 economy He said that while international increased to two flights per airline per day

class,” Hendrik said. passenger traffic in and out of Entebbe effective January 2021, but with room for

“We are proud to be the leading International Airport was 1,980,000 more flights per day for airlines willing and

international carrier connecting Rwanda passengers in 2019, the numbers reduced having the traffic.

and Uganda with Asia, Europe, the US, to 565,541 in 2020 owing to the long On the side of cargo, Luggya said traffic
and the Middle East. From 33 routes at spell during which commercial passenger increased from 42,000 metric tonnes of

the height of the pandemic, we have operations were suspended as a result of cargo handled at Entebbe International
rebuilt our global network to more the COVID-19 pandemic. Airport in 2019 to 58,000 metric tonnes of

than 900 weekly flights to over 130 Since the resumption of flights in October cargo in 2020.
destinations, supporting the Rwandan 2020, the numbers are increasing slowly. Qatar Airways has become the first

and Ugandan Diaspora with more flexible An average of 1,863 passengers per day global airline in the world to achieve the

and seamless travel options to visit family was recorded in January 2021 with 24,095 prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety

and relatives.” arrivals, 29,409 departures, and 4,279 in Rating by the international air transport

Vianney Luggya, the manager public transit. Before the outbreak of the COVID19 rating organization, Skytrax.

affairs Uganda Civil Aviation Authority pandemic, Entebbe International Airport Qatar Airways operates three-weekly

(UCAA) said, "The fact that Qatar Air handled an average of 5,400 passengers flights from Entebbe and Kigali and

has started operating a bigger aircraft of per day in 2019. 90 weekly flights in total from Africa.

that capacity to Entebbe is a welcome In the first phase of resumption of Passengers traveling from African connect

development and a vote of confidence. operations (October to December), an seamlessly with the widest network in the

Emirates is the other airline that operates a average of one flight per airline per day US, Asia, and Europe via the Best Airport in

Boeing 777 to Entebbe.” was permitted. The number has since been the Middle East. Q
NEWS
ANGRY CAT ATTACKS PILOT
A Tarco Airlines Boeing 737 was As noted by the UK's Metro, local

already 30 minutes into its flight from reports characterised the cat as
cat apparently went on a Khartoum, Sudan, to Qatar's capital city "aggressive and angry."
Arampage in the cockpit of a of Doha when the cat suddenly emerged The furry stowaway was said to be a
plane that was headed to Qatar recent- in the cockpit, according to the report. feral feline and, according to Al-Sundai,
ly. The feline was so disruptive that the Alarmed by its unfamiliar surroundings airline workers believe the cat likely

pilot actually decided to turn the plane and people, the cat instantly went on the boarded the plane while it was parked in

around and abandon the flight's sched- offensive, attacking the pilot and resisting the hangar overnight for cleaning.

uled route, according to a report in a attempts to catch it. The whole scene led It's also possible that the cat could've
the pilot to head back to Khartoum to

Sudanese newspaper Al-Sundai. safely remove the feline passenger. crept aboard the aircraft during the pre-

flight engineer check. Q
World Airnews | April 2021
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