RWANDAIR ADDS JUBA AS EXPANSION DRIVE CONTINUES
(Posted 21st September 2013)
It is D-Day today for RwandAir’s 15th destination to be formally launched, when the maiden flight from Kigali will for the first time ever connect Rwanda’s capital Kigali with South Sudan’s capital city of Juba.
The new city pair will initially operate every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and launch fares have been set at an incredible 199 US Dollars, all taxes included. Flying a two class, 75 seat Bombardier CRJ900NextGen on the route will give travelers to and from the new destination the opportunity to enjoy the comfort of a state of the art aircraft, two of which are already in service and holding a further two options likely to be exercised at some time in the future. The flight was initially to be combined with RwandAir’s services to Entebbe but when the Ugandan Civil Aviation declined to permit 5th freedom traffic rights – South Sudan is NOT a member of the East Africa Community yet and hence do relevant aviation protocols governing access to routes within the EAC not apply – RwandAir decided to go it alone and commence nonstop operations between Kigali and Juba.
Travellers from Juba to RwandAir’s West African destinations Brazzaville, Libreville, Lagos and Accra, but also flying to Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam, will be able to enjoy as an added bonus for flying with RwandAir a ‘night on the house’ in Kigali as will those connecting from Juba to the airline’s domestic service to Kamembe. Packages are in the works for passengers wishing to use that stopover in Kigali to explore The Land of a Thousand Hills some more, something in fact highly recommended to be able to experiences the new Rwanda and see the transformation this country has undergone in recent years.
RwandAir’s CEO John Mirenge on the occasion of the maiden flight, said in a communication to this correspondent received overnight: ‘ The Republic of South Sudan is a new born democratic state in Africa, a lot of development is buzzing there and business is attractive to investors or other well-wishers who want to join the booming atmosphere. In West Africa, southern Africa, or the East African Community, there is a lot of demand to provide access to Juba. RwandAir and our hub in Kigali offer the convenience in connectivity and affordability. We are excited to work with travel agencies and other partners to satisfy this ever growing demand. Our network provides the necessary routes to reach out to a vast community and for Juba travelers to fulfill their travel needs within Africa and in Dubai’. Happy Landing always to passengers and crews.
