Qatar Airways has commenced a direct flight to Abuja.

The direct flights to the Nigerian capital will no longer be linked to Lagos, offering direct connectivity between Abuja and Doha.

The move follows the recent addition of double-daily flights to Lagos.

Qatar Airways now offers 100 weekly flights to 27 destinations in Africa.

Qatar Airways Vice-President, Africa, Mr Hendrik Du Preez, said: “Nigeria is a very important market to us and we will continue to offer more travel options and seamless connectivity to the largest network of destinations across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

“We anticipate the Abuja-Doha route being especially popular with visitors to the UK, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Doha.

“After just under a year of resuming flights to Lagos and launching to Abuja, following the challenges imposed by the pandemic, it is a testament to the resilience of the African region that we have now introduced direct flights to Abuja.

“We look forward to welcoming passengers on board to enjoy our award-winning hospitality and service.”

In addition to this, Qatar Airways has become the first global airline to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax.

This follows the success of Hamad International Airport (HIA) as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating.

These awards provide assurance to passengers across the world that the airline’s health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment.