RWANDAIR – WHAT NEXT AFTER IOSA
(Posted 24th November 2014)
When RwandAir recently announced that they attained the coveted IATA Operational Safety Audit Certification it made more than a few heads turn across the region and the national pride in Rwanda certainly got a boost that the national airline of the Land of a Thousand Hills had joined the elite of global aviation by passing the stringent requirements of a yardstick placed high by IATA for obvious reasons.
These news came almost at the same time when RwandAir launched their flights to Tanzania’s lakeside city of Mwanza, their 16th destination, and the announcement on that occasion by the airline’s General Manager Commercial Gobena Mikael that two additional aircraft had been ordered, a Bombardier Q400NextGen for delivery in 2015 and another B737-800NG SkyInterior for delivery in 2016.
These two aircraft, when delivered, will boost the RwandAir fleet to overall 9, three B737-800NG’s, two B737-700NG’s, two Bombardier CRJ900NextGen and two Bombardier Q400NextGen, making it one of the youngest fleets of aircraft flying across the African skies.
Besides their air operation does RwandAir also provide exclusive ground handling services at Kigali’s International Airport and this division is reportedly being prepared to commence the process of the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations, another global benchmark by the International Air Transport Association for meeting the highest safety standards in that field.
No doubt will RwandAir, once this process goes underway, also progressively tick all the right boxes, following the experience gathered when undergoing the IOSA certification process, propelling what many consider as one of Africa’s aviation success stories firmly into the top league of airlines on the African continent, smaller than Ethiopian, Kenya Airways, South African or Egypt Air but operations wise their equal nevertheless. For details on RwandAir’s schedules, fares, special holiday offers and their frequent flyer programme click on www.rwandair.com
Watch this space for breaking and regular aviation news from across Eastern Africa.
