Middle Eastern airline Qatar Airways has expanded its footprint in Africa with the announcement of a new flight from Doha to Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Qatar Airways, flag carrier of Qatar, has announced the addition of yet another destination to its international route with the launch of flights to Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a press statement, the airline says that the latest network expansion provides passengers with greater travel choices within a key region of Africa, opening up a new entry point for international travel from Africa to China, Europe and the Indian Subcontinent using Doha in Qatar as a gateway. The addition of Kinshasa increases the number of destinations in Africa served by the airline to 29.

The statement adds that besides introducing Kinshasa to its network, the airline will launch greater frequencies and increased capacity to Luanda, the capital of Angola.

Qatar Airways says that starting from June 1, Luanda will see an increase in frequency of service from one weekly flight to four weekly flights with a combined service to Kinshasa.

The new route will be served by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, equipped with 22 business class seats and 232 economy class seats.

“We have seen significant milestones in our 2024 network expansion and this latest addition is particularly special, as it continues our strategic goal of increasing our footprint in Africa. The inclusion of Kinshasa in our network is the latest manifestation of our efforts to improve connectivity to Africa. Qatar Airways has showcased its commitment to the region by providing passengers in Africa with greater choice to explore different corners of the world through our network and our hub in Doha, Hamad International Airport,” says Thierry Antinori, Chief Commercial Officer, Qatar Airways.

The airline says that Qatar Airways Privilege Club members will collect Avios on flights and can benefit from greater savings when paying for flights with a combination of cash and Avios, or Avios Max, when paying 100 pc of the fare using Avios.