Northern Corridor Cooperation paves way for new flights

RWANDAIR SET TO LAUNCH NEW FLIGHTS OUT OF ENTEBBE

(Posted 01st January 2015)

RwandAir will be delighted with the outcome of a last minute MoU signed yesterday in Kampala between Uganda, South Sudan and Rwanda, which paved the way for the airline operationalizing 5th freedom rights on the route from Entebbe via Nairobi to Juba and from Entebbe via Juba to Nairobi.

The 11th December Head of State meeting in Nairobi of the Northern Corridor Cooperation between Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan had directed that all obstacles be removed by the four civil aviation bodies and that the airlines of the member countries be permitted to commence flights under 5th freedom rights from early January onwards. When Uganda granted RwandAir 5th freedom rights did the Kenyan regulators swiftly throw spanners in the works even though Rwanda had handed Kenya Airways fifth freedom rights between Kigali and Bujumbura a long time ago. That however has since the 11th of December directive by the Heads of State been resolved, paving the way for RwandAir to widen their flight schedule out of Entebbe, which is shaping up to become a mini hub for the Rwandan national airline.

It is expected that the airline will soon announce the launch date for their new services, which will first and foremost add much needed capacity between Entebbe and Nairobi, where space on many flights has been tight since Air Uganda had to halt operations in June 2014. There is speculation that at least some of the flights out of Entebbe will be triangular in nature, leaving more or less at the same time in reverse order to include Juba as an intermediate stop. Ugandans are also awaiting information if RwandAir may also launch flights to Mombasa, which is presently served out of Entebbe only by flying either via Kigali or via Nairobi, but no longer nonstop.

RwandAir, while a full service airline, has refined their yield management over the recent past and regularly offers some of the lowest fares in the market to all their destinations, as long as one books early enough when there is still space available in that particular booking class, though there has been a trend to also offer last minute specials in order to fill up any remaining empty seats on planes.

Now serving 16 destinations out of Kigali with a fleet of 7 aircraft has RwandAir progressively filled the void left behind in Uganda by the closure of Air Uganda and, no surprise there, has the market responded positively to having another option to fly from Entebbe into the wider region. Be sure to watch this space for the breaking news when the new flight services are launched or else monitor www.rwandair.com