Agreement between the Malagasy government and the Gulf company
January 30by
The Taratra News Agency announces that “The international airline Qatar Airways plans to extend its services to Madagascar, thus strengthening the island’s international connections. A Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed between the Qatari delegation of Qatar Airways and the Malagasy government, defining the technical details of this new air collaboration.
“Under this agreement, Qatar Airways will operate seven flights per week between Madagascar and various global destinations, thereby opening new opportunities for travelers and boosting the tourism sector. The signing of this agreement comes after a visit by the Qatari delegation to Antananarivo international airport.
“This initiative is part of the Ministry of Transport and Meteorology’s overall strategy to welcome one million additional visitors over the next five years. In this perspective, the ministry seeks to expand its partnerships with other major airlines, thus strengthening Madagascar’s air connectivity with the rest of the world.
Openness to the world and tourists with high purchasing power
Asked in “l’Express” about the reasons which led Qatar Airways to turn to Madagascar, Valéry Ramonjavelo, Minister of Transport and Meteorology, indicates that: “It is because, for them, Madagascar constitutes great potential with its twenty-eight to twenty-nine million inhabitants. So, given the tourist products we offer and the cultural wealth we have, the Big Island is a country where the market remains to be developed. »
What can Madagascar expect from this partnership? Response from the minister: “we have bilateral agreements between Madagascar Airlines and Qatar Airways which will go much further on the “win win” partnership. In which we can demand places, we can demand that it go to destinations that we target. For example, we would like it to go more to North America than to France. Or go to non-traditional markets, like Eastern Europe or Asia. Markets where we are not yet present. »
“Those who travel on Qatar Airways are people who, in the majority, have high purchasing power and equally high demands. They are looking for three-star hotels and above. We do not yet necessarily have sufficient offers to meet this demand. This is why we must prepare and anticipate all the effects induced by the arrival of a major airline like this.”
The government is prospecting other Gulf companies, notably FlyDubai.
Reunion does not arouse the same interest
Remember that the national airline of Madagascar has since been in the process of restructuring. Air Madagascar and Tsaradia merged to form Madagascar Airlines.
Madagascar Airlines has decided to temporarily focus on domestic routes and abandon international flights for a while. To connect Reunion Island, it is therefore mainly Air Austral, and also Corsair.
For intercontinental, Madagascar Airlines recently signed a “code-share” agreement with Corsair in order to nevertheless maintain a presence on the Antananarivo-Paris route. The agreement with Qatar Airways will also allow “code-sharing”, with seats for Madagascar Airlines on flights.
Qatar Airways is the first Gulf airline to land in Madagascar. This will allow a direct connection between this very dynamic region and Madagascar. In Mauritius, Emirates brings at least one Airbus A380 every day. If these companies decide to serve a country, it is because they think that the capacity exists to accommodate several hundred passengers with high purchasing power every day. Obviously, Reunion does not arouse the same interest.
M.M.
