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.