RWANDAIRS SECOND B737-800 COMPLETES TEST FLIGHTS
(RwandAirs second brand new B737-800 in the Boeing paint shop in Everett)
Following the completion of the assembly of RwandAirs new aircraft were a series of test flights performed to establish that all was well up in the skies, before returning the bird to the ground to get its distinct livery painted on. It is understood from a reliable source at the airlines headoffice at Kanombe International Airport in Kigali that a handover ceremony is planned now for the 26th of October before the aircraft will commence its journey home to Africa with an expected routing from Seattle via Icelands Keflavik airport to Istanbul, before making the final leg on the 28th of October to Kigali where a welcome party is planned. Remarkably RwandAir is only the third airline in East Africa in the more recent past which has found the means and courage for that matter to purchase brand new aircraft, after market leader Kenya Airways and their partner Precision Air in Tanzania, while all other jet operators, national or quasi national airlines use pre owned aircraft, many of them relatively aged, more expensive to operate due to older engine technology and less reliable due to greater maintenance requirements.
When the new bird arrives in Kigali RwandAir will be claiming the 4th spot in terms of operator size in the wider East African region, going by jet aircraft, a development which comes as no surprise considering the ambitions of Rwanda Incorporated to establish the land locked country as a major hub in Eastern Africa and to use RwandAir as a key tool to achieve connectivity. Happy landings to the new Boeing, its crews and all the passengers who will soon enjoy Boeings Sky Interior experience while on board.
