RWANDAIR NOW JUST A MONTH AWAY FROM DOUALA LAUNCH
(Posted 28th February 2014)
As Kigali is getting ready to receive RwandAir’s brand new Bombardier Q400NextGen turboprop aircraft next Monday afternoon, are news emerging from the airline’s corporate headquarters that the planned launch of flights to Douala, the carrier’s 16th destination overall and 5th in West Africa after Brazzaville, Libreville, Lagos and Accra, will kick off with 5 flights per week. The first commercial flight will be launched on the 30th of March, expanding RwandAir’s footprint in West Africa significantly. Bookings can already be made via the airline’s website www.rwandair.com or through the common CRS systems on which WB flights feature.
Meanwhile was earlier today the new aircraft formally handed over to RwandAir at the Bombardier assembly plant in Toronto / Canada and it was the airline’s Deputy CEO Jean Paul Nyirubutama who accepted the aircraft on behalf of RwandAir.
Bombardier and RwandAir subsequently just released the following statement:
Start quote:
Bombardier Delivers Dual-Class Q400 NextGen Airliner to RwandAir
Bombardier Aerospace and RwandAir of Kigali, Rwanda today celebrated the delivery of a dual-class Q400 NextGen turboprop airliner to the African airline.
RwandAir’s order for the aircraft was announced on April 22, 2013.
Jean Paul Nyirubutama, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, RwandAir, accepted the aircraft during a delivery ceremony at Bombardier’s Toronto site where the Q400 NextGen aircraft is manufactured. The ceremony was attended by Bombardier Commercial Aircraft executives and many of the employees involved in the production of the aircraft.
‘We have been eagerly awaiting the delivery of this superb dual-class, 67-seat aircraft,’ said
Mr. Nyirubutama. ‘By offering similar cabin amenities on the Q400 NextGen aircraft and on our recently
acquired dual-class Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen regional jets, the two complementary aircraft types
will provide seamless passenger service, permitting us to align our total fleet strategy towards a unified
passenger experience. The Q400 NextGen aircraft will position us well to offer increased capacity on popular routes that have been opened and serviced with our 37-seat Bombardier Dash 8-200 aircraft and is the right aircraft to
develop our growing domestic and regional markets. The Q400 NextGen aircraft’s modern cabin and superior performance will also help us build new markets where regional air service today is served by older-generation jets. The aircraft will firmly support RwandAir on our path towards growth and increased profitability’ added Mr. Nyirubutama.
‘The Q400 NextGen turboprop has proven its capability, flexibility and ruggedness in many regions of
the world and is operating with distinction in diverse environments. We are confident that it will serve
RwandAir and its customers very well’ said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial
Aircraft. ‘As one of our newest and fast-growing customers, RwandAir is serving Africa’s expanding
domestic and international markets and we are delighted that another Bombardier aircraft will be used
to further develop the airline’s network of short- and medium-haul destinations’.
RwandAir is now one of 15 operators of Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft in Africa, and its Q400 NextGen aircraft joins more than 55 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft that are already in service, or ordered for operation, in 12 countries in Africa. RwandAir is also now the fourth airline operating the dual-class Q400 NextGen aircraft among the five customers that have ordered this configuration to date.
End quote
Watch this space for breaking and regular aviation news from across Eastern Africa.
