"Interview with Qatar Airlines’ Vice President for Africa, Hendrik Du Preez"

" \n Qatar Airways, a little over a month ago, started servicing Accra\u2019s Kotoka International Airport. In this exclusive interview, AviationGhana speaks with Hendrik Du Preez, the Doha-based airline\u2019s Vice President for Africa on the decision to start the service despite the current pandemic and how the airline plans to stay competitive in Ghana. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: Qatar has started 4x weekly flights from Doha to Accra via Lagos, what is your assessment of the West Africa aviation market? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : This is a very strategic market for Qatar airways as we expand our operation into West Africa. The region is vibrant and currently attracting investment opportunities across the globe hence the right entry time for Qatar Airways to be able to be part of this great story. With a strong Ghanaian diaspora in Europe, the UK and the U.S, we have received unwavering support from the Ghanaian government in launching flights to and from Ghana. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: More specifically, what is your assessment of the Lagos and Accra markets? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : From Qatar Airways\u2019 perspective, we maintained strong relationships with the West African market. Our Lagos route was inaugurated back in 2007 as Nigeria\u2019s commercial capital and the gateway to West Africa, offering strong business links with rest of the world. When Qatar Airways was able to fly back into Lagos last month, we immediately stepped into the market with four weekly flights and added Accra as a new tagged destination. Accra has been in our plans to launch earlier this year but due to COVID-19 we had to put some plans on hold. Both Accra and Lagos are vibrant economies that are aggressively developing, they have strong economic fundamentals from Nigeria\u2019s oil sector providing approximately 95% of Nigeria\u2019s foreign exchange earnings and Ghana\u2019s \u2013 gold, oil, and cocoa exports are major sources of foreign exchange. Ghana is one of the fastest growing economies in the region famed for its local hospitality and highly sought after agricultural exports. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: Why did Qatar decide to start this route at this time when the global pandemic has pushed most airlines to the brink and yields are very low (some airlines are flying half empty to the region)? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : We first announced our intention to launch flights to Accra in January 2020 and while the pandemic has slightly delayed these plans, it has not stopped us from fulfilling our commitment to passengers in Ghana and around the world. The combination of strong economic growth in Ghana and the large Ghanaian diaspora across Europe, the UK and U.S is why we decided to launch this route now. In time we believe we will be able to grow and strengthen this route as global travel recovers. \n \n\n \n Since the onset of the pandemic, Qatar Airways\u2019 network has never fallen below 30 destinations with continuous services to five continents. As the airline\u2019s network rebuild continues, we remain focused on providing seamless, safe and reliable connectivity to our passengers. \n \n\n \n We have always maintained the highest level of safety on board our aircraft and we also recently rolled out our UV light cabin cleaning system which is clinically proven to inactivate viruses and bacteria. Our aircraft are also equipped with HEPA filters which remove 99.97% of viral and bacterial contaminants so there is no reason to cut down on our rapidly expanding network as we have the experience. By May 2020, Qatar Airways was the largest carrier to fly and take people home. The experience accumulated over the previous months have enabled us to continue operating and adding new routes to our network to provide our passengers with seamless connectivity globally. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: Based on data available to you, what\u2019s is your projection in terms of load factor for the next 12 months? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : I am proud to say that our experience and safety measures help us be the airline of choice during these uncertain times. Being the largest global carrier to operate during the pandemic since April, this resilience continues to inspire confidence that Qatar Airways remains a strong and reliable partner. I cannot disclose our private operational data but I can say that our flight numbers and load factors are increasing. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: There is strong competition in Accra for Qatar from Emirates, and the likes of Ethiopian (on the Far East route), despite the impact of the current pandemic. How is Qatar approaching this to ensure it becomes a household name in Ghana and the sub-region within the shortest possible time? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : We at Qatar Airways have always welcomed competition. We are working closely with travel trade partners and stakeholders from the industry on some opportunities within the market. As the World\u2019s Best Airline as voted by Skytrax with the Best Business Class product and the Best Airport in the Middle East, we pride ourselves on offering our passengers the very best travel experience. Additionally our generous booking policies and ongoing commitment to travelers offers peace of mind which is why many choose to rely on Qatar Airways for their travel plans. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: Are they any exciting promotional offers to stimulate demand as Qatar starts operations to Accra? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : Yes, we have great market introductory offers and all customers need to do is to visit QatarAirways.com. Customers are encouraged to sign up to our newsletter to ensure they do not miss out on any of the exciting promotions to be rolled out. We recently announced exciting global sales promotions among many others so we urge everyone to keep an eye out for our announcements across our platforms. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: What other marketing\/promotional activities\/offers should travelers to and from Accra expect? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : We have from time to time exciting promotions tailor-made for the market and we encourage travelers to sign up for our newsletter on our website, this will ensure they are well-informed of any exciting developments that may take place. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: What equipment will be operated on the Accra route and what should travelers expect on-board? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : Qatar Airways is known to operate the most modern, technologically advanced fleet in the world with our bespoke product. For Accra, we are operating our modern fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has a spacious design with unobstructed views with electronically dimmable windows much larger than any comparable aircraft. The cabin is also pressured to a lower equivalent altitude, allowing you to breathe more oxygen than in any other aircraft. More oxygen means fewer headaches, less dizziness and less travel fatigue. The pandemic did not disrupt our promised service on board. Qatar Airways proudly offers you a flight experience like no other. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: Your maiden flight to Accra had two Ghanaians in the cockpit and five in the cabin. Will the airline seek to engage more qualified locals on the route as it business in the sub-region grows in the near future? \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : Qatar Airways is a truly global airline. Our multicultural workforce is one of our key strengths with employees from more than 160 nationalities. Our diverse cabin crew includes more than 30 African nationalities, including many Ghanaians. With our ambitious expansion plan, we shall definitely continue hiring staff globally including from Ghana. \n \n\n \n AviationGhana: How does your operations in football-loving West Africa fit into the airline\u2019s plan towards the 2022 World cup in Qatar. \n \n\n \n Hendrik Du Preez : As the host of FIFA World cup 2022 in Qatar we definitely aspire to offer a direct flight to most cities in West Africa. We believe strongly in the power of sport to bring people together and we expect thousands of spectators from West Africa to visit and discover Qatar when the country opens up again for tourists and also when we host the FIFA World Cup Qatar in 2022. \n "

"Interview with Qatar Airlines’ Vice President for Africa, Hendrik Du Preez"

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