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RwandAir gets new Board of Directors
Long time aviator and former airline executive Mr. Girma Wake to chair new board; tourism sector expected to have bigger input in airline’s growth plans
In line with its expansion plans, the national carrier has unveiled a new board of directors who will steer the airline forward under the Chairmanship of the newly appointed Mr. Girma Wake. Rwanda Development Board’s Head of Tourism and Conservation Ms. Rica Rwigamba also joins the new board as a board member. Ms. Rwigamba’s input and experience in the tourism sector will be vital in aligning the airlines growth plans with the country’s overall tourism agenda.
The full board of RwandAir will now include Mr. Girma Wake – Board Chairman, Ms. Rica Rwigamba, Ms. Isabelle Kalihangabo, Mr. Caleb Rwamugaza, Ms. Laurence Mukarugwiza, Mr. Sudadi Kaitana and Mr. Theo Demeyo Uwayu.
Mr. Wake joins the board of RwandAir after having served Ethiopian Airlines for 37 years; 15 of them as Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, Ethiopian Airlines became one of the best airlines in the world and underwent massive expansion and modernization.
The reconstitution of the new board of directors for RwandAir comes at a time when Government of Rwanda is positioning its self to attract more travel and investment into the country. The national carrier is seen as a vital link in the country’s ambitious growth plans especially its plans to grow tourism and attract foreign direct investments.
RwandAir to replace CRJ-200s with brand new regional jets
Carrier withdraws the two CRJ-200s from fleet with immediate effect
Jan 2, 2011, Kigali: RwandAir has formally announced its plans to replace the two 50 Seater CRJ200s with brand new regional jets. This announcement comes after the airline reached an agreement with a buyer for the two aircraft it purchased in 2009 at the start of its fleet acquisition process.
In a statement to the press RwandAir CEO John Mirenge confirmed that the airline has had plans to sell the CRJs and replace them with brand new larger capacity regional jets. “The two 50 seater CRJs were our first purchased aircraft from Lufthansa Cityline and they have served us very well especially in the three hour radius of Kigali flights. We have however seen the regional market grow and we feel this market and the demand it presents will be better served by an aircraft with between 70 – 110 seating capacity,” he said. Mr Mirenge further added that the airline is actively engaging suppliers of regional jet aircraft for at least two jets to be delivered by mid 2012. “Having found a ready buyer, it was imperative that we immediately strike the deal and remove the equipment from our fleet. Effectively, we have also made adjustments on our schedule to proportionately accommodate our operations to match the equipment we are left with until the new regional jets are delivered”, he added.
All flights will now be operated on Boeing aircraft except destinations served by the Dash8-100 until the delivery of the regional jets. Flights to Lagos, Dubai, Johannesburg, Libreville and Brazzaville will operate without any changes in frequencies, however flights to Nairobi will now be operated twice a day instead of three while Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam will now be served with four frequencies a week as opposed to five. Entebbe meanwhile has received a major boost with up to 19 frequencies a week. The airline has also effected a fifth freedom operation between Bujumbura and Nairobi.
RwandAir’s fleet is now made up of two Next Generation Boeing 737- 800, two Boeing 737- 500, and a Dash8-100. The national carrier expects to replace the CRJ-200s with brand new aircraft by June 2012.
RwandAir flight at Abidjan International Airport
The following is a statement from RwandAir on the unpleasant situation at Abidjan International Airport where flight number WB314 bound for Kigali from Abuja Nigeria made a stopover.
Contrary to what has been widely circulated on the Internet, flight number WB 314 landed at Abidjan International Airport at 1400HRS (Local Time Abidjan) where a team of senior Rwanda Government officials disembarked for an official state visit. Owing to the nature of the delegation, the aircraft was directed to a private military apron for swift handling and quick turn around.
The Rwanda government officials were efficiently and professionally received by the Ivorian team on ground and ushered to the lounge while other Kigali bound passengers remained on board.
The two key requirements for the turn around were fueling services and ground handling services. Both suppliers required cash payment regardless of RwandAir’s prior contractual arrangements with a local company on ground. The team in charge of the apron where RwandAir aircraft was parked did not have any prior information from the local handling company in Abidjan on the same. This expected confirmation from the ground handling company, delayed to reach the apron staff in good time.
This in turn delayed the handling and fueling process. Once all was cleared with the handling agent in Abidjan, fueling and other handling aspects were completed and the aircraft left for Kigali with a one-hour delay on top of the planned two hours on ground.
The photo used alongside the story posted online does not depict the image of the of the soldiers on ground at Abidjan Airport nor does the article give a balanced account of what transpired. The armed soldiers on ground at Abidjan airport were part of the security detail put in place to receive and ensure safety for the aircraft, its passengers and the visiting state delegation.
We would like to assure all that at no time whatsoever were the lives of the passengers, RwandAir crew or staff in any danger. Further, RwandAir flight crews were well within duty time limit with hours to spare.
RwandAir would like to reaffirm its commitment to upholding the highest security and safety standards in its operations and would like to reassure its esteemed customers, the public of continued reliable and safe operations.
Lagos - Nigeria becomes 13th Destination for RwandAir
From Left to Right: Eng. Musa H., Nigeria Aviation Authority Representative, Albert Nsengiyumva, Rwanda Minister of Infrastructure, Joseph Habineza, Rwanda Ambassador to Nigeria, James Kabarebe, Rwanda Minister of Defence
Flights to operate from Kigali every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and same day return flights from Lagos on the new Boeing 737-800NG
RwandAir the national carrier of Rwanda has launched direct flights from her operating hub in Kigali to Lagos the commercial hub of Nigeria and West Africa. Lagos becomes the 13th destination to join the airlines rapidly growing network and the fourth new destination this year after domestic Gisenyi, Brazzaville – Congo and Libreville - Gabon. The three weekly flights will depart from Kigali at 0830HRS (Local Time) and arrive in Lagos at 1140HRS (Local Time). The return flights depart from Lagos at 1330HRS (Local Time) to reach Kigali at 1840HRS (Local Time).
In a statement to the press RwandAir CEO John Mirenge confirmed the airlines commitment and plans to continue exploring the westward network expansion drive. “At the beginning of the year, we made a commitment to expand our network with a focus on Central and West Africa. Lagos for us is an exciting addition to our network and we know the destination will have very positive contributions to the already existing network. We are pleased to make this our first West African destination,” he said. Mr Mirenge further added that the Nigerian Aviation Authorities had been very cooperative and responsive to the RwandAir request to fly to Lagos. “From the time we declared our intentions to fly to Lagos, the Nigerian government and aviation authorities have been very swift and quick in welcoming us”, he added.
Lagos flights come close in the wake of major frequency additions on the airline’s schedule notably; Dubai flights, which have been stepped up from three to six frequencies a week. The new “Dubai Direct” frequencies operate on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday giving a perfect connection to passengers from Lagos to Dubai. Other notable changes on the airline’s schedule include the Kigali Brazzaville, which will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with 0800HRS (Local Time) from Kigali.
Lagos remains the most populous city in Nigeria, the largest country in Africa. The metropolitan area, an estimated 300 square kilometers, is a group of islands endowed with creeks and a lagoon. It is the commercial and industrial hub of Nigeria, with a GNP triple that of any other West African country.
RwandAir Takes Delivery of its Second Boeing 737-800NG
National carrier now has two of the only Boeing Sky Interior aircraft in Africa
Boeing today delivered the second Next-Generation B737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior to RwandAir making it also the second of its kind to be owned and operated by an African carrier.
“It is exactly two months since we were here to take delivery of our first Boeing 737-800NG. Remarkably, we are here again to take the second Boeing Sky Interior to Africa. As the national carrier of Rwanda and a young African airline, we are proud of this accomplishment”, said John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir. He went on to add, “We have received very positive feedback from our customers since we deployed our first 737-800NG in the existing network and we can only hope that the second aircraft will add to their travel delight”.
Speaking at the delivery ceremony in Seattle Boeing’s Sales Director for Africa Robert Faye commended RwandAir for growing its fleet with new and modern aircraft fitted with the latest technology and design. “Africa is registering positive growth in the aviation sector at the moment and RwandAir has practically seized the moment by growing one of the youngest fleet in that region. For Boeing Commercial Airplanes, RwandAir is a worthy partner and we are pleased to be working with them”, he added.
The new Boeing 737-800NG aircraft departed for Kigali shortly after the ceremony and is expected to jet in at Kigali International Airport this Friday October 28, 2011 after a stopover in Istanbul, Turkey.
With the latest addition, the national carrier now has a total fleet of seven aircraft that include two Boeing 737-800NG, two Boeing 737-500, two CRJ200 and a Dash8-100. The expansion of its fleet will take care of the airline’s growth to operate the recently announced additional frequencies to Dubai. These flights will be the first direct and most convenient service from Kigali to Dubai. Other destinations like Johannesburg, Entebbe, Libreville and Brazzaville will also get extra frequencies while Lagos is expected to join the airline’s network before the end of the year. RwandAir is positioning to be a regional airline of choice.
