RwandAir selects the A330 for fleet growth and modernisation
RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, has signed aMemorandum of Understanding with Airbus for two brand new A330s (300 and 200 series) making RwandAir a new Airbus customer and the first airline in East Africa to order the A330s.
“As we look to introduce wide body aircraft for the first time into our fleet, with its proven economics, reliability and passenger comfort, we have found the A330 to perfectly support our plans to expand into Europe and Asia, to enhance our regional presence, to open up new routes and to grow our market share,’’ said John Mirenge, Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir.
The two aircraft will have 261 and 300 seats respectively and will come in a triple-class configuration with Rolls Royce Trent 772B engines and will be delivered in the second half of 2016. With this addition RwandAir’s fleet will reach ten aircraft.
“We are delighted that RwandAir has confirmed its confidence in the A330, and are extremely pleased to welcome them as a new A330 customer,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A330 Family offers a unique combination of unbeatable economics, versatility and fuel efficiency. Passengers will be able to enjoy a new flying experience with state of the art inflight entertainment systems and best-in-class passenger comfort that only Airbus offers.”
Note to editors
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. The airline which is also well reputed for an excellent on time performance, reaches out to eighteen cities in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East. RwandAir recent major milestone is the passing of the IATA Operational Safety Audit which resulted in the acquisition of the IOSA certificate. The airline’s commitment to operate with the highest and international industry safety standards continues with the pursue of another certification, the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations expected to be completed by June 2016.
For more information, contact communications@rwandair.com
RwandAir to resume Kamembe flights in July 2015
Kigali, March 24th 2015 – RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, wishes to inform its esteemed customers and the public at large that the renovation of Kamembe airport runway is still under construction and that we have been advised by the Rwandan Civil Aviation Authority that works will be completed by the end of June, 2015.
“Our flights to and from Kamembe may resume as early as July 2015 as soon as works on the runway are completed and we are advised that the airport is fully operational again” said Gobena Mikael, General Manager Commercial. Meanwhile RwandAir will continue providing truck services for the baggage of our customers.
Note to Editors:
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest fleet on the African continent.
The airline which is also well reputed for an excellent on time performance, reaches out to eighteen cities in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East. As part of RwandAir expansion strategy, the airline expects the delivery of a second brand new dual class Bombardier Q400NextGen in June this year , and has put a firm order of two brand new A330s with a three class configuration expected to be delivered in 2016 which will enable the airline’s expansion of its services to Europe and Asia.
RwandAir recent major milestone is the passing of the IATA Operational Safety Audit which resulted in the acquisition of the IOSA certificate. The airline’s commitment to operate with the highest and international industry safety standards continues with the pursue of another certification, the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations expected to be completed by June 2016.
For more information, please contact communications@rwandair.com.
Kigali, March 28th 2015 – RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, wishes to inform its esteemed customers and the public at large that the airline will be relocating to Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport effective March 29th 2015.
The Terminal 2 is a friendly terminal which has been recently renovated and refurbished with all necessary facilities such as bars, restaurants, cafes, duty free and lounges.
“Our passengers will benefit from quick immigration and baggage process leading to a more efficient check-in process and exit out of the Terminal” ; said Gobena Mikael, the General Manager Commercial, “Transit passengers will also have an intra-terminal bus shuttle and through checked baggage will be automatically transferred”.
For more information, please contact us on info@rwandair.com, or your nearest RwandAir sales office.
To the millions of Smartcash and Mpesa users around the world, booking and paying for tickets online with RwandAir just got easier. Thanks to a new set of partnerships, customers can now use Mpesa and Smartcash to purchase their RwandAir flights, no matter where they are travelling.
Mpesa is a mobile phone based money transfer and microfinance service that was launched in 2007 by Safaricom in Kenya and Vodacom in Tanzania. The “M” stands for mobile while Pesa is the Swahili word for money. Over the years, Mpesa has expanded to East and Southern Africa, India and Eastern Europe. In 2012, the number of registered Mpesa accounts had grown to 17 million. As an airline, RwandAir is pleased to avail the Mpesa payment option on our Internet booking system to the more than 17 million users of the mobile money system.
The creators of SmartCash, R-Switch, envisage the payment scheme as one that sits proudly alongside international brands like VISA and MasterCard. This year R-Switch is taking SmartCash to the next level by introducing online payment to debit cardholders of local banks in Rwanda. SmartCash is now a domestic card association scheme boasting ten member banks. The scheme is issued by banks as a debit, prepaid and soon a credit card facility, allowing electronic transactions around the country. The scheme has accumulated over 300,000 cardholders in the three years since it was launched. As we embrace e-commerce and online business solutions, RwandAir is excited to be the first merchant to accept SmartCash online payments.
RwandAir aims to provide seamless connectivity – from the moment you log on to our website,www.rwandair.com, to buying your ticket and transiting through our hub at Kigali International Airport. By expanding the payment options available to our customers, we look forward to making your life just a little bit easier, and your travel experience with RwandAir even better.
This year, RwandAir selected Rockwell Collins’ ARINC common use passenger processing systems and related technologies to support the airline’s strong passenger growth. Under a new five-year contract, RwandAir will implement the following systems:
The new airport systems will improve the ease with which RwandAir passengers check-in and go through the airline’s hub at the Kigali International Airport.
“We selected Rockwell Collins because we were impressed by their reputation for excellent customer service, as well as the history of successful project implementations for other airports in our region,” said John Mirenge, the Chief Executive Officer at RwandAir.
“The African aviation industry has been experiencing steady growth over the past several years,” said Paul Hickox, Managing Director, IMS EMEA for Rockwell Collins.
“RwandAir is one of Africa’s fastest growing airlines. As a key pillar in the development of Rwanda’s economy, RwandAir is playing a key role in successfully developing Kigali International Airport as a new hub at the heart of Africa. With the renovation of Kigali and the selection of ARINC airport systems, RwandAir clearly understands the need for providing scalable and customizable solutions that are on international standards,” Mr Hickox said.
Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. The company’s expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, simulation and training, and information management services is delivered by a global workforce, and a service and support network that crosses more than 150 countries.
The introduction of the new systems builds on RwandAir’s recent major milestone in passing the IATA Operational Safety Audit, which resulted in the acquisition of the IOSA certificate. RwandAir is committed to operate with the highest international industry standards and the new partnership with Rockwell Collins will help the airline to achieve this goal.
RwandAirDreamMiles Loyalty Programme adds a reloadable Visa Prepaid Card Feature to its membership cards to facilitate Payments and Currency Exchange on the Go!
RwandAirDreamMiles, the award-winning airline loyalty programme, and Card Programs International (CPI), a card programme management and payment product innovations company, have partnered with Ecobank, the leading Pan African Bank, to launch the new RwandAirDreamMilesVISA GlobalTravelWallet™ card. The card includes a reloadable prepaid Visa account feature that lets travellers earn DreamMiles as they shop at Visa merchants worldwide – a first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
RwandAirDreamMiles members in Rwanda will begin receiving their new DreamMiles card with GlobalTravelWallet™ in July, 2015. The roll-out of cards to RwandAirDreamMiles members in other countries will take place shortly after.
RwandAirDreamMiles members already enjoy industry recognized benefits such as reward miles on every flight, lounge access, extra baggage allowance, guaranteed seating options, priority check-in and boarding, and more. Members will also start to earn and redeem miles with RwandAir partner airlines, as well as with over other non-airline partners soon.
The new GlobalTravelWallet™ feature adds payment functionality and other member benefits to the RwandAirDreamMilesGlobalTravelWallet™ card. This includes the revolutionary miles to money functionalityallowing cardholders to convert their miles to cash using the new UniversalRedemption™ capability from CPI, as well as bonus miles for RwandAir ticket purchases and everyday purchases.
Later in the year, RwandAirDreamMiles members will be able to download the GlobalTravelWallet™ mobile application, available for iOS and Android users. Through the app, users can access their account balance and transaction history, transfer money to other DreamMiles members with an activated GlobalTravelWallet™ account (RWF only), review where to load options, and report a card lost or stolen.
John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir, said, “The new RwandAir Dream Miles loyalty programme provides features and benefits that enhance the value to its members. The new innovative RwandAirDreamMilesGlobalTravelWallet™ card combines the functionality of a reloadable payment card with the benefits of DreamMiles membership in a single piece of plastic, a first in loyalty and travel payments in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
RwandAirDreamMiles partnered with CPI to develop the product and handle management of the program, utilizing CPI’s proprietary prepaid currency platform and global experience pioneering similar products.
“When we partnered with RwandAir, we were confident that we were working with a partner whose mantra is to deliver world class service to its customers,” said Segun Oni, Chief Executive Officer, Card Programs International, adding “we have an alignment on the values of meeting our customers’ needs.”
The new RwandAirDreamMilesVISA GlobalTravelWallet™ card is issued in collaboration with Ecobank.
MaremeNdiaye, Managing Director of Ecobank Rwanda, said, “This is a highly innovative product and the first of its kind in the region. Ecobank is proud to assist RwandAir in developing a multi-functional card, which vividly demonstrates Ecobank’s ground-breaking product development capabilities.”
To learn more about the new RwandAirDreamMilesGlobalTravelWallet™ programme, complete list of features and benefits, including fees, terms and conditions, please visit:www.rwandair.com
RwandAir recently achieved the milestone of passing the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit, which resulted in the acquisition of the IOSA certificate. The airline’s commitment to operate with the highest and international industry safety standards now continues with the pursuing of another certification, the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations, expected to be completed by June 2016. Some of the benefits of being a member of the IATA are listed below.
Providing advocacy on a global, regional and local basis
Targeting key industry priorities
Driving industry change
Ensuring airline financial sustainability and reducing costs
Increasing Communication
Providing key commercial services and training
Every year, RwandAir staff visit genocide memorials across the country to remember the more than one million Rwandans killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The visits are part of the company’s Kwibuka21 activities. Kwibuka is the Kinyarwanda word for ‘remember’.
This year, airline staff visited the Ntarama Memorial in Bugesera. The team toured the former Ntarama church and learned about its history and the events that took place there during the Genocide. RwandAir staff brought flowers to put on the mass graves, as a gesture of honouring the victims of the Genocide. Among those who visited was RwandAir’s CEO, John Mirenge. In his remarks, he said: “We need to learn from our past and teach others so we can build a bright future for this generation and the next.”
As part of the Kwibuka21 remembrance activities, RwandAir staff also travelled to Murambi to visit Genocide survivors there. RwandAir supported the survivors by providing various donations. Earlier this year, RwandAir renovated their houses and connected them to the electrical grid. The team was warmly welcomed by the survivors who expressed their gratitude by sharing gifts with RwandAir.
Kwibuka21 is an important time to remember what happened, unite to ensure it never happens again, and continue to be part of Rwanda’s ongoing journey of renewal
RwandAir to resume Kamembe flights on June 15th 2015.
Kigali, May 28th 2015 – RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, is pleased to announce the resumption of flights to Kamembe effective June 15th 2015. This follows the confirmation from the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority that rehabilitation works on the runway have been completed and all that is remaining are the markings.
The flights will be operated by a dual class Bombardier Q400NextGen aircraft from Monday to Saturday departing at 13:20 from Kigali and returning 15:00 from Kamembe. The Sunday flight will follow later in the same month when we acquire our second Bombardier Q400NextGen.
“The new resurfaced runway will enable smooth and efficient operations and our schedule will seamlessly connect to all our East African destinations, Lusaka, Johannesburg and Dubai”, said Gobena Mikael, General Manager Commercial. To mark the resumption of services to and from Kamembe, RwandAir will be hosting a travel trade workshop on June 6th in Kamembe.
RwandAir would like to take this occasion to highly appreciate the patronage and loyalty of its esteemed customers who have continuously supported the airline despite the temporary suspension of Kamembe operations.
Note to Editors:
From Kigali the hub at the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. The airline which is also well reputed for an excellent on time performance, reaches out to seventeen cities in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East.
As part of RwandAir expansion strategy the airline expects the delivery of a second brand new dual class Bombardier Q400NextGen in late June and has put a firm order for two brand new triple class Airbus A330s expected to be delivered in 2016.
RwandAir recently joined IATA as a member airline, only five months after being IOSA certified. The airline’s commitment to operate with international industry safety standards at the highest level is observed in its current pursue of the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) expected to be completed by June 2016.
For more information, please contact communications@rwandair.com.
RwandAir suspends flights to Mwanza effective June 1st 2015.
Kigali, June 1st 2015 – RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, regrets to announce the suspension of flights to Mwanza effective June 1st 2015. The equipment which was operated on the Kamembe route was deployed to Mwanza as the airline decided to re-launch the route and gauge it for possible sustainable operations.
“Our plan was to commence Kamembe when we received our second Bombardier Q400NextGen and continue to grow Mwanza, however the latter did not improve much since it’s first month, thus our decision to suspend the operations to cut our loss”, said Gobena Mikael, General Manager Commercial.
Upon the closure of flights, RwandAir contacted and assisted all booked passengers ahead of time to mitigate frustration and the airline representative in Mwanza approached our trade partners and pledged continuous support from our Arusha and Dar es Salaam offices as well as the Head Office in Kigali.
RwandAir plans to serve the Mwanza route in conjunction with other carriers in the future.
RwandAir is in the process of renovating and upgrading its (UTC) Sales Office to give you better service. We apologize for creating any inconvenience to you during this time.
Wednesday the 17th of June 2015 as we will be finalizing the works by spray painting the walls, for health reasons the office will remain closed.
On the 17th June 2015, we will be serving you from the sales office located at Kigali International Airport – Arrivals Terminal, reachable at 0732154018. You may also contact our Call Centre 0788177000 or your preferred travel agency.
Thank you for your continued support
JOHN MIRENGE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
On 25 June 2015, right before the delivery of the second brand new Bombardier Q400 NextGen, RwandAir signed a financial deal with Preferential Trade Area Bank (PTA) worth US $160 million.
This loan will enable the airline to acquire new aircraft, which will increase capacity for the Dubai route as well as meet growing demand from European and Asian markets. The addition of the new Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300 will be made possible through the loan and take RwandAir’s young fleet from 8 to 10 aircraft in 2016.
“We are honoured to have PTA Bank as our long-term and dependable partner to support our growth strategy. The new acquisition shall enable us to enhance and spread our world-class products and services beyond our current footprint,” said John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir.
Speaking about the agreement, PTA Bank President Admassu Tadesse said, “We were delighted to have the opportunity to close this important financing for RwandAir and contribute to Rwanda’s economic development and the delivery against transport and infrastructure components of the government’s Vision 2020. RwandAir is an existing PTA Bank client and as part of its fleet expansion strategy, the airline is planning to purchase two Airbus A330 passenger aircraft at a total cost of about US $160 million.”
The PTA Bank financing is an important contribution to RwandAir’s long-term success and sustainability and the airline is pleased to be working in partnership with the bank to achieve our expansion goals.