RWANDAIR CELEBRATES 16TH DESTINATION WITH SPECIAL ‘INAUGURAL’ FLIGHT
(Posted 29th April 2014)
On Sunday did the formal launch of RwandAir’s 16th destination take place, when a B737-800NG took off from Kigali to Douala in Cameroon. While commercial flights have been ongoing since the end of March, as was reported here, the flight to formally celebrate the new connection had been scheduled for the 27th of April. The airline’s CEO John Mirenge was on board as were Rwandan government dignitaries, senior airline managers, a cross section of Rwanda’s business community and media representatives.
John Mirenge used the opportunity to announce that RwandAir will later this year also commence flights to Abidjan while eyeing Mumbai as its second destination outside of Africa after Dubai.
Douala is RwandAir’s fifth destination in West Africa after Brazzaville, Libreville, Lagos and Accra, an indication of the airline’s intent to become a carrier of choice for African travelers crossing from East to West and from South to East. Favourable Visa regulation have aided RwandAir’s penetration of the West African market, as no transit Visa are required from passengers connecting in Kigali into the rest of the network, and Visa for visitors from any of the African Union member states are processed on arrival.
Fully owned by the government of Rwanda has RwandAir been spreading its wings and acquired a fleet of brand new Boeing and Bombardier aircraft over the past two years, with more firm purchase orders expected to be confirmed soon, according to a regular source from Kigali.
Meanwhile is Rwanda gearing up towards the 10th anniversary of Kwita Izina, the high profile and high visibility gorilla naming festival, which this year culminates with the naming of newborn gorilla babies on Saturday the 21st of June. Details of the weeklong celebrations, dedicated to not just the conservation of the prized mountain gorillas and their habitat in the Virunga volcanoes but a wider range of conservation related issues, is expected to be released in the very near future by the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department. For more details on RwandAir visit www.rwandair.com or click on www.rwandatourism.com for information about the country’s three national parks and other tourism and cultural attractions.
