The capital of Namibia, Windhoek, has welcomed the first Qatar Airways flight to arrive at its international airport from Doha, Qatar.

Windhoek is the first city in Namibia to be served by Qatar Airways, which will fly to and from the destination four times a week with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The new route will connect passengers flying from Namibia to more than 150 global destinations via Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art hub and home Hamad International Airport in Doha.

Windhoek will be the 23rd destination in Africa served by the award-winning airline.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “We are delighted to extend our network within Africa by adding the premium leisure and business destination of Windhoek to our route map.

“Africa remains one of our key target areas for growth and we have identified Namibia as an important African nation to include in our expansion plans.

“With the launch of this service we look forward to strengthening our ties with the people of Namibia, who we are pleased to connect with more than 150 global destinations via our hub in Doha, while supporting the country’s growing tourism industry by flying in tourists from all around the world.”

Export businesses in Namibia will also benefit from the launch of the new route as Qatar Airways Cargo will offer 92 tonnes of belly-hold capacity per week on board the aircraft.

This will offer Namibian businesses a prime opportunity to distribute goods across the airline’s network of more than 150 destinations.

Namibia Tourism Board chief executive Digu Naobeb, said: “The new flight route provides the opportunity to promote Namibia as a business and leisure destination amongst Qatar Airways’ wide network of travellers.

“The route not only improves connections with mature destinations, but allows Namibia to tap into new markets that are also served by the airline.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors to Namibia via this new gateway in Doha.”

The Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner operates a two-cabin configuration, comprising of 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class.