Premium Economy – a First for RwandAir, a First for Africa

RWANDAIR AIMS TO SET NEW STANDARDS WITH THEIR AIRBUS A330 INTERIOR

(Posted 02nd June 2016)

A sneak preview of the interior of RwandAir’s new Airbus A330 has confirmed information received earlier that the introduction of the Premium Economy Class cabin will indeed break new ground for Africa.
Premium Economy cabins are yet to make a major breakthrough even among the big league airline – Emirates for instance is only now beginning to seriously consider adding this feature on their aircraft – and the decision by RwandAir is turning heads among the aviation industry in Africa.
This will be the first airline on the continent to offer such a service, as it was also RwandAir which first introduced the Boeing SkyInterior cabin layout on their B737-800NG’s, again ahead of all other African airlines.
The new cabin, an intermediate step from the normal Economy Class to the Business Class, will feature just 7 seats abreast in a 2x3x2 layout, and seat pitch was given as 38 inches, compared to the normal economy class pitch of between 31 and 32 inches, assuring significantly higher seat comfort for passengers on long haul flights.

(Picture courtesy of RwandAir)

Catering will also be some notches up from the regular economy class cabin service.
RwandAir expects to take delivery of the first of two brand new Airbus A330 models in September, this one being a -200 version while the December delivery will be a larger -300 variant.
The airline has already named their first ever long haul destination as Mumbai, a flight which will route via Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The second long haul destination will be Guangzhou in China. When the second A330 joins the RwandAir fleet will a yet to be named destination in Europe be launched.
Notably will passengers on this aircraft enjoy inflight connectivity, again a rare feature among African airlines and another pointer that RwandAir is determined to set new standards for travelers.
Meanwhile was it also confirmed from sources in Kigali that the new taxiway construction at Kigali International Airport will be completed in time for the first Airbus to arrive in Rwanda.