Qatar Airways has launched its second new route of 2007 with its inaugural flight to Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos.Qatar Airways’ maiden flight from Doha to Lagos arrived at the city’s Murtala Mohammed International Airport with the country’s former soccer captain Jay Jay Okocha among passengers on the first flight.

Okocha currently plays for the Qatar League side Qatar Sports Club. The popular footballer, famous for his flamboyant style of play, and other passengers onboard QR 594 were welcomed on arrival by a Qatar Airways delegation from the airline’s Lagos office.

Qatar Airways operates three-flights-a-week between its hub in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, and Lagos using the airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A330 aircraft, in a two-class configuration of Business and Economy.

With 130 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country and its main industry being petroleum and related products. Nigeria is currently one of the world’s biggest oil producers. With natural oil and gas the mainstay of Qatar’s economy, there are significant business and commercial interests in bridging links between both countries.

The addition of Lagos widens Qatar Airways’ African network that spans the entire continent, from Casablanca in the west and Cairo in the north to Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in the east and Cape Town in the south.

“Lagos is a vitally important commercial and business centre and with the strong oil and gas interests in both Qatar and Nigeria, we expect a high level of business on the route, as well as from key feeder markets of the GCC countries,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.
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