Doha

Qatar Airways has announced that it will launch flights to Zanzibar, the airline’s third gateway in Tanzania after Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, from July 1.
The new five-times-a-week flight to Zanzibar will operate via Kilimanjaro. The Kilimanjaro flights that are currently served by Qatar Airways via Dar es Salaam will be made non-stop from Doha to Kilimanjaro, also from July 1, with return flights from Kilimanjaro to Doha served via Zanzibar.
The new destination, Zanzibar, and the launch of direct flights to Kilimanjaro will add even more options for passengers when travelling to any of the more than 140 destinations served by Qatar Airways, according to a statement. Similarly, passengers from the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe can now take advantage of connections to these Tanzanian cities via Doha’s hub, Hamad International Airport.
The mystic spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean will take the total number of destinations in the airline’s African network to 20 cities. The new destination makes a perfect island holiday spot for leisure travellers with its white sandy beaches, abundant wildlife, rich culture and long history, the statement adds.
“The announcement of new services to Zanzibar reflects our commitment to connect diverse cities via our Doha hub and offer our passengers an extensive range of exciting global destinations. As our 20th gateway in Africa, Zanzibar will strengthen our presence as one of the biggest airlines flying to the African continent,” said Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker.
Qatar Airways’ African expansion in the past weeks has included the announcement of a new destination, Durban, and an increase in flights to Johannesburg, which will launch on December 17, as well as an increase in frequency to Cape Town from October 1 this year.
Qatar Airways has been operating in Tanzania ever since the airline launched flights to Dar es Salaam in 2007. The Tanzanian operation was expanded in 2012 when the airline launched flights to Kilimanjaro.
“I would like to thank the Tanzanian government for supporting our newest route to Zanzibar. The exposure of Zanzibar to the world through Qatar Airways’ global network will enable Tanzania to attract even more tourists and businesses alike,” added al-Baker.
The Doha-Kilimanjaro-Zanzibar route will be operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in business class and 132 in economy.

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