RwandAir and Qatar Airways have signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement to offer travellers more choice.

As part of the deal, the Rwandan flag-carrier will also launch new non-stop flights between their Kigali hub and Doha in December.

Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir chief executive, said: “This is a major milestone for RwandAir and marks the beginning of an exciting new journey with Qatar Airways.

“We are also immensely proud to welcome Doha to our route network, connecting customers with Qatar’s hub and further expanding their flight map.

“This codeshare agreement will give our customers significantly more choice and flexibility, allowing RwandAir to strengthen its global presence and build on its strong and loyal African customer base.”

She added: “As we continue to grow out of the pandemic, this partnership represents yet another extremely important step on our recovery runway, and we hope to deliver more commitments like this to our customers in the very near future.”

The new codeshare will enable RwandAir customers to book attractive offers to popular destinations in the United States, such as New York, Washington D.C., Dallas and Los Angeles.

The partnership will also see these offers extend to key European cities, such as London, Zurich and Madrid, and points across Asia, such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

The agreement also increases Qatar Airways’ footprint in Africa, with access to destinations such as Bujumbura, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.

Akbar Al-Baker, Qatar Airways Group chief executive, said: “We share a very close and collaborative bond with Rwanda and welcome RwandAir’s new non-stop service between Kigali and our home in Doha.

“With this comprehensive codeshare agreement, we are committed to deliver greater choice and connectivity to our customers in Africa and around the world.

“The new partnership will help position Qatar Airways in the region and complement our African expansion strategy.”