RWANDAIR – THE AFRICAN AIRLINE TO WATCH
(Posted 21st May 2015)
Rwanda, the proverbial Phoenix risen from the ashes, is rightly seen as a prime example that Africa is not all about chaos and coups, dictators, disorganization and disease but living proof that principled and disciplined leadership can accomplish everything the so called developed countries have accomplished, and then some more. The sky is the limit for the country and it is that same sky which is the workspace for Rwanda’s national airline, RwandAir. Over the past several years has WB established itself as a growing force in African aviation and made more than a few waves.
Now flying from Kigali into the entire Eastern African region, including serving 5th freedom routes from Entebbe to Juba and to Nairobi, has the airline established a sizeable West African network, flying to Brazzaville, Libreville, Douala, Lagos and Accra and Abidjan is due to be launched later this year. In Southern Africa it is Johannesburg, and since last month also Lusaka RwandAir flies to and Harare is reportedly coming on line next, also to be served together with Johannesburg. Daily flights to Dubai round up the number of present destinations and were it not for the Tanzanian regulators sitting on a 5th freedom application to fly from Kigali via Dar es Salaam to Mumbai, would India’s largest city already be on the RwandAir route maps.
Flying the arguably youngest fleet of any airline in Africa, another brand new Bombardier Q400NextGen dual cabin turboprop aircraft will arrive on the 20th of June in Kigali, has the airline rolled out an ambitious growth plan. A third Boeing B737-800NG is according to usually well informed sources on order due for delivery either late this year or early next year and as was reported here as breaking news some months ago has the airline signed an MoU with Airbus for the delivery of two Airbus A330-200’s in the 2016/17 time frame. This will catapult RwandAir into the league of intercontinental carriers and plans have already been made public that flights to Asia and Europe will then be on the cards, once the airline’s first ever wide body planes have joined the fleet.
Supported by a government which clearly sees the airline as a strategic asset, has Rwanda not just funded their national carrier to grow but has at the same time expanded and modernized the existing airport in Kigali and turned it into the one with the shortest ways and the best-planned passenger flow in the entire region. Yet, a new airport outside the city is also being planned in Bugesera, a sign that aviation is an integral part of Rwanda’s future development strategy.
Last year was RwandAir certified as IOSA compliant, the ISAGO certification process has started in earnest and next week will IATA again come to Kigali to officially welcome RwandAir as a full IATA member.
With just 7 aircraft on the fleet right now, 8 from next month, two B737-800NG’s, two B737-700NG’s, two Bombardier CRJ900NextGen’s and – the new delivery included – two Bombardier Q400NextGen’s is the airline perhaps still small, or petit as the saying goes in French, but then, the French also have the saying ‘Petit but oh la la’. RwandAir today is a player which is not just worth keeping an eye on but which has to be on the list of airlines aviation pundits regularly check out. Watch this space for breaking and regular aviation news from across the Eastern African region.
