From Qatar to Sikhuphe

MBABANE – Qatar Airways, named Airline of the Year 2011 by Skytrax World Airline Awards, may use Sikhuphe International Airport as its main base for African routes.

That would mean relocating from Oliver Tambo International Airport to Swaziland.

The deal has not yet been finalised pending exchange visits by the Emir of the State of Qatar and His Majesty King Mswati III early next year.

If Qatar Airways relocates to Swaziland, passengers travelling to the Middle East may come to Swaziland to board direct flights to their destinations.

The government would benefit tremendously in taxes.

Qatar Airways is headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha.

It operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft. It is one of only seven airlines awarded five-star rating by Skytrax along with Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Hainan Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

It operates services across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Far East, South Asia, Middle East, North America, South America and Oceania.

It is understood to be one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. The airline employs more than 20 000 personnel.

King of Qatar known as the Emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani is expected to tour, among other projects, the Sikhuphe International Airport early next year.

He will be a guest to His Majesty King Mswati III.

The agreement to be signed by Sheik Hamad and His Majesty involves the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) and the Swaziland Government for the operation of the new airport.

QCAA oversees the operation of Qatar Airways. Construction costs for Sikhuphe airport have so far reached about E1 billion.

Meanwhile, the King’s Office said it would not comment on the matter and referred enquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Mbongeni Simelane, Private Secretary to His Majesty King Mswati III said they usually came to know about such states visits through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mtiti Fakudze, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said he was not aware of the expected visit by the king of Qatar.

He had not yet been briefed on his visit.

On another note, talking to Qatar Tribune, Swaziland Ambassador to Qatar Felizwe Dlamini is said to have confirmed the exchange of visits between the two Heads of State. He reportedly said Swaziland was keen on partnering with a strong economy like Qatar’s to develop its aviation industry. He said the country wanted to benefit from the growing business of Qatar Airways in particular, and the experience of the QCAA, in general.

"Our government policy is to develop infrastructure. That is why the government invested heavily in the airport. The multi-million-dollar project was financed by the Swaziland government, without taking any external loan or grant. We proposed joint operation of the airport to the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority because we believe Qatar Airways is a product that can make the returns on our investment accrue faster," Dlamini repotedly told the Qatar Tribune. He said the airport’s operation would boost the country’s economy as well as provide employment to thousands of people.

"The location of the airport at Sikhu-phe, east of Swaziland, is central and strategic. It is only a 30-minute flight from Johannesburg and 45 minutes from Durban in South Africa, while it can be reached within 50 minutes from Maputo in Mozambique. We can also serve our neighbouring countries when the airport is fully operational. So, investing in such a project would be worthwhile for all parties involved," he said.

He went on to say Swaziland took a keen interest in Qatar due to the common features of both countries, which included "manageable population and zeal for development."

Besides the partnership in aviation, he said, the Swaziland Mission in Qatar was working on inviting Qatar’s companies and businessmen to invest in the country’s yet-to-be-tapped gold deposits.

"We have been careful about people who are allowed to explore our natural resources because we know that there are environmental effects of exploration. So, we don’t want to permit just anyone to explore gold, but to only those who would use our resources to benefit our people," he said. He said granting licences to prospective investors would be carried out objectively.

Looking for a way to be less reliant on hydroelectric power supply, Swaziland may soon seek assistance from Qatar to provide gas turbine electricity for its populace, according to the Swaziland envoy.

With fewer than 50 Swazi people in Qatar, Dlamini said the embassy would expedite efforts to ensure that Swaziland and Qatar signed labour exchange agreement.

He said the agreement would enable more qualified and skilled workers to work in Qatar.

"One of our richest resources is manpower. Swaziland has talented and experienced individuals who can contribute their expertise to the ongoing development in Qatar," he reportedly said.

Qatar recently won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Swaziland hopes to benefit.

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