News & Press releases

Cotonou – Le 1er Août, 2017. RwandAir, la compagnie aérienne de la République du Rwanda a le plaisir de vous annoncer que le Gouvernement de la République du Bénin lui a octroyé le privilège de la septième liberté de l’air. Le droit de la septième liberté de l’air permet à la compagnie aérienne de baser ses opérations à l’extérieur de sa base domestique et d’opérer entre sa base de la septième liberté et un pays tiers sans l’obligation de retourner sur son territoire.

RwandAir déploiera à Cotonou deux aéronefs Boeing 737 et commencera ses opérations à son deuxième nouveau hub dans un avenir proche.
Par ailleurs, les Gouvernements du Benin et du Rwanda ont signé un protocole d’accord en vue d’établir une compagnie aérienne commune appartenant aux deux pays et basée à Cotonou (Bénin).

«Le lancement de ce hub, va améliorer le transport aérien sur notre continent car RwandAir pourra atteindre plus de pays de l’Afrique Occidentale et Centrale avec de meilleures correspondances et plus de fréquences» a dit Yvonne Manzi Makolo, Directrice Générale Adjointe chargée des Affaires Institutionnelles de RwandAir.
La compagnie aérienne commune des deux pays exploitera des lignes pour le transport des passagers et des marchandises vers Abidjan, Brazzaville, Douala, Libreville, Bamako, Dakar et Conakry.

«Ceci fera du Bénin ce que nous envisageons en matière d’aviation civile en vue de faire de notre plateforme un hub sous régional. La compagnie aérienne viendra concrétiser la deuxième partie de notre rêve, en bénéficiant de l’expérience rwandaise qui permettra le Bénin d’avoir sa compagnie aérienne ainsi favorisant le développement de notre aviation et du tourisme», a dit Son Excellence Hervé Hehomey, le Ministre chargé des Transports et Infrastructures du Bénin.

«Je suis heureux que nos frères Rwandais aient choisi ce jour de la fête nationale pour célébrer avec nous cette coopération qui facilitera l’établissement de la compagnie aérienne Bénino – Rwandaise d’ici la fin de l’année», a dit Son Excellence Aurélien Agbenonci, le Ministre des Affaires Etrangères du Bénin.

“Je tiens à exprimer au nom du Gouvernement de la République du Rwanda, ma profonde reconnaissance au Gouvernement du Bénin d’avoir permis à ce que cette initiative économique audacieuse et sérieuse de se réaliser; je suis très heureuse que les négociations aient abouti à ce résultat bénéfique pour les deux pays”, a dit Son Excellence Louise Mushikiwabo, la Ministre des Affaires Etrangères du Rwanda.

RwandAir continuera d’opérer entre Kigali et Cotonou tout en assurant à la compagnie aérienne commune, l’accès à ses dessertes à travers l‘Afrique de l’Est et Australe, le Moyen-Orient et l’Asie.

A propos de RwandAir

Basée à Kigali au Coeur de l’Afrique, RwandAir jouit d’une excellente réputation en matière de ponctualité, de qualité de service, de sûreté, et gère l’une des plus jeunes flottes du continent Africain. RwandAir est une compagnie aérienne membre de l’Association du Transport Aérien International (IATA) et est certifiée IOSA et ISAGO par celle-ci, ainsi que EASA par l’Agence Européenne de la Sécurité Aérienne.

Avec douze avions notamment deux gros porteurs Airbus A330 acquis l’année passée, la compagnie aérienne dessert vingt-trois villes en Afrique de l’Est, Centrale, de l’Ouest et Australe, au Moyen-Orient, en Europe et en Asie.

Cette année, RwandAir a lancé ses vols vers Mumbai, Harare, Londres (Gatwick)
et Bruxelles. Vers la fin de cette année, RwandAir commencera des vols vers
Guangzhou, et en 2018, la compagnie prévoit de faire son entrée aux États-Unis
d’Amérique avec des vols sur New York.

Cotonou – 1st August, 2017. RwandAir the national carrier of the Republic of Rwanda is pleased to announce that it has been granted the seventh freedom rights by the Government of Benin. The seventh freedom rights allow an airline to base its operations outside its home base and operate between its seventh freedom base and a third country without returning to its country. RwandAir plans to position two Boeing 737s aircraft to Cotonou and begin operations in the near future from its new second hub.

Furthermore, the Governments of Benin and Rwanda have signed a MOU to establish a Joint Venture airline owned by the two countries and based in Cotonou, Benin.
“The launch of this hub, will take air travel on our continent to the next level as RwandAir will be able to reach more countries in West and Central Africa with improved connections and more frequencies” said Yvonne Manzi Makolo, the Deputy CEO in Charge of Corporate Affairs of RwandAir.

The joint-venture airline plans to commence its initial operations providing air transportation for passengers and goods between and to Abidjan, Brazzaville, Douala, Libreville, Bamako, Dakar and Conakry.

“This will enable us to achieve our plans for the country’s aviation industry in order to make Cotonou a hub for the sub-region. Our second dream will become reality with the establishment of the national carrier of Benin through the Rwandan experience thus contributing to the development of our aviation and tourism sectors”, said Honorable Herve Hehomey, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Benin.

“I’m pleased that our Rwandan brothers chose our national day to come and celebrate with us this cooperation which facilitates the creation of the Beninese-Rwandan airline by the end of this year” said Honorable Aurelien Agbenonci, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Benin.

“In the name of the Government of Rwanda, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Government of Benin that has allowed this audacious and solemn economic initiative to materialize. I’m very pleased that the negotiations ended in this mutually beneficial partnership for both countries” said Honorable Louise Mushikiwabo, the Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister of Rwanda.

RwandAir will continue its operations from Kigali to Cotonou and provide seamless access to East and Southern Africa, the Middle East and Asia to the joint airline.

About RwandAir

From its hub at the heart of Africa at Kigali International Airport, RwandAir is reputed for its excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety, and has one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. RwandAir, an IATA member airline renewed its IOSA certification and has been ISAGO and EASA certified.

With a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body Airbus A330 acquired last year, the airline currently reaches out to twenty-three destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

This year, RwandAir started flights to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels. Later this year, the airline’s ever growing network will spread to Guangzhou and in 2018, RwandAir plans to enter the American market with flights to New York, in the United States of America.

Kigali- 21st August, 2017. RwandAir, the national carrier of the republic of Rwanda, is pleased to announce that effective 30th September 2017, it will commence three weekly operations to Conakry (Guinea), Bamako (Mali) and Dakar (Senegal) from its new hub in Cotonou (Benin). This is in addition to the three destinations, Libreville (Gabon), Brazzaville (Congo), and Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) that are already served from Cotonou effective 30th August. The new Cotonou hub will be synchronized with the existing operations from Kigali allowing seamless connections to the rest of the RwandAir destinations, which are growing fast on the African continent and beyond.

Dakar, Bamako, and Conakry are some of the largest cities in West Africa, and are home to a vast multicultural heritage and rich history with museums and ancient mosques dating back from the time of the great African empires. Some of the attractions include the house of slaves on the island of Gorée in Dakar, the National Museum of Mali, and the Conakry Grand Mosque, which is the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“These latest additions are further proof of our commitment to improve connections on the African continent, and the will to create new opportunities for economic exchange, trade and tourism between countries with the aim of fostering economic development,” said Chance Ndagano, the acting Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir.
The launch of these new destinations comes after the successful entry into the European market with flights to London and Brussels in May and July respectively. The new routes will extend RwandAir’s network to twenty-six (26) destinations.

About RwandAir

From its hub at the heart of Africa at Kigali International Airport, RwandAir is reputed for its excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety, and has one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. RwandAir, an IATA member airline renewed its IOSA certification and has been ISAGO and EASA certified.
This year, RwandAir started flights to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels. This August, the airline opened a new hub in Cotonou, Benin which will allow seamless connections to West and Central Africa.

Kigali, Rwanda, 18th September 2017: RwandAir will play host to the 49th Annual General Assembly (AGA) and Summit of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) scheduled to take place at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda from 12 – 14 November 2017. This important annual event which was last held in Victoria Falls–Zimbabwe in November 2016, is expected to attract over 500 high profile delegates from the aviation industry in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and North America.

Addressing the media during a press conference held in Kigali as part of an advance visit, AFRAA Secretary General, Dr. Elijah Chingosho said: “The AFRAA AGA is the premier gathering of senior global aviation executives in Africa. Annually, the AGA brings together global aviation leaders and stakeholders to take stock of aviation milestones and plan the future for the development of African aviation.” The AGA will discuss issues on the development of air transport in Africa in general and development opportunities for African airlines in particular. Air transport in Africa is an economic bridge – linking people, goods and capital to markets and industries and integrating the vast continent.

The President of AFRAA and Ag. CEO of RwandAir, Chance Ndagano on his part thanked AFRAA for the opportunity to host this major aviation event. He stated that hosting the event in Rwanda, presented an excellent opportunity to strengthen aviation in the country and further promotes the tourism sector. “It is a pleasure and an honor to host the 49th AFRAA Annual General Assembly and Summit in Kigali. RwandAir looks forward to welcome airline top executives and other aviation stakeholders to Remarkable Rwanda – the land of a thousand hills.” He added.

In addition to the provision of an excellent platform for brand visibility through sponsorship, the General Assembly and Summit of AFRAA will present exhibition opportunities for aviation companies to showcase their services, equipment, components, supplies and IT solutions. Some of the confirmed sponsors include: Accelya & Mercator, Airbus, Amadeus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, Nexus, RwandAir and SITA. The AFRAA AGA will be attended by Chairmen and CEOs from African airlines, ICAO, IATA, AFCAC, civil aviation authorities, airport companies, air navigation services providers as well as aircraft and engine manufacturers, component suppliers, and many other service providers.

The AFRAA Secretary General met various stakeholders in Rwanda who looked forward to a successful event in November. “AFRAA and RwandAir teams are dedicated to ensure that delegates will experience yet another memorable AGA this year” added Dr. Chingosho.

Notes for Editors:

About RwandAir

From its hub at the heart of Africa at Kigali International Airport, RwandAir is reputed for its excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety, and has one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. RwandAir, an IATA member airline renewed its IOSA certification and has been ISAGO and EASA certified.

With a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body Airbus A330 acquired last year, the airline currently reaches out to twenty-three destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. This year, RwandAir started flights to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels. RwandAir introduced flights to Abidjan, Libreville and Brazzaville from its new hub in Cotonou and will start operations to Bamako, Conakry and Dakar from the same hub by the beginning of October this year. Later this year, the airline’s ever growing network will spread to Guangzhou and in 2018, RwandAir plans to enter the American market with flights to New York, in the USA.

For more information, please contact:

RwandAir Head Office
Kigali International Airport, Top Floor
Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: (+250) 788 177 000
Email: communications@rwandair.com
Website: www.rwandair.com

About AFRAA

The African Airlines Association, also known by its acronym AFRAA, is a trade association of airlines from the member states of the African Union (AU). Founded in Accra, Ghana, in April, 1968, and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the primary purposes of AFRAA are to foster commercial and technical co-operation among African airlines and to represent their common interests.

AFRAA membership of 37 airlines cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines.

Currently, the Ag. Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir, Col. Chance Ndagano is the President of AFRAA.

For further information, please contact:

The Secretary General
The Secretary Genera
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 2320144/2320148
Email: afraa@afraa.org
Website: www.afraa.org

Kigali – 20th October, 2017. RwandAir, the national carrier of the Republic of Rwanda is pleased to announce that the flight schedule of the Brussels route will become non-stop to Kigali effective 31st October, 2017.

RwandAir will continue to offer three weekly flights from/to Brussels on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; however flights from Brussels to Kigali will no longer be operated via London Gatwick which will eliminate the requirement for non-Schengen citizens to hold a UK transit visa and to disembark for rescreening at London Gatwick Airport.

The new schedule was made possible pursuant to negotiations with Gatwick Airport for an earlier slot out of London, enabling our aircraft to return to Brussels ahead of the jet ban.

“We are confident,” says Chance Ndagano, Ag. CEO of RwandAir, “that the new schedule will improve the experience of our esteemed clients boarding from Brussels, while maintaining our schedule from London with only one stop in Brussels.” Passengers embarking from London-Gatwick Airport will stay onboard the aircraft at Zaventem Airport in Brussels and will not need a Schengen transit visa.

RwandAir’s state of the art Airbus A330 fleet, configured in a triple class cabin with inflight connectivity will continue to operate the Brussels – Gatwick route and conveniently connect across Africa via Kigali with the following timings.

About RwandAir

Excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety, and has one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. RwandAir, an IATA member airline renewed its IOSA certification and has been ISAGO and EASA certified.

With a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body Airbus A330 acquired last year, the airline currently reaches out to twenty-four (24) destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

This year, RwandAir started flights from Kigali to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels as well as Dakar from its new hub in Cotonou. RwandAir also introduced flights to Abidjan, Libreville and Brazzaville from the hub in Cotonou and will start operations to Bamako and Conakry from the same hub by the end of November this year. Later this year, the airline’s ever growing network will spread to Guangzhou and in 2018, RwandAir plans to enter the American market with flights to New York, in the USA.

For more information, please contact:
RwandAir Head Office
info@rwandair.com
+250788177000
Kigali International Airport, Top Floor

Kigali, 13th November 2017; Under the patronage of the Government of the Republic of Rwanda, RwandAir is hosting African airlines top executives, industry manufacturers, service providers and other stakeholders in aviation across Africa and the world forthe 49th Annual General Assembly (AGA) and summit of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA). RwandAir is playing host to this important annual event which was last held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in November 2016. The conference was officially opened by Honorable Ngirente Edouard, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda and proceedings of the two-day event will be chaired by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir, Chance Ndagano, the President of AFRAA.

Convened under the theme “Rethinking strategies for airline profitability in Africa”, the conference has registered over 450 high profile aviation delegates from 52 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, North and South America. Issues of market access, liberalization, cooperation, safety, infrastructure development, the environment will take centre stage at this year’s summit. The AFRAA AGA is the premier gathering of senior global aviation executives in Africa. Annually, it brings together global aviation leaders, aircraft/engine manufacturers, service providers and suppliers to take stock of aviation development and plan the future. Air transport in Africa is an economic bridge – linking people, goods and capital to markets and industries and integrating the vast continent.”

According to the President of AFRAA, Ag. CEO of RwandAir, Chance Ndagano, “The AGA will not only discuss critical topics related to aviation industry broadly such as barriers to the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration to reach our goal of having one African sky, but it is also an important platform for suppliers and consumers in the aviation sector to meet and exchange business ideas.”

Dr. Elijah Chingosho, Secretary General of AFRAA said, “The AGA will evaluate the growing air transport opportunities in Africa and how operators can provide safe, reliable, efficient and profitable air services to support the continent’s development. By taking stock of the market realities, African airlines will be able to mobilize the necessary resources and forge partnerships to grow their market share.”

The Secretary General of AFRAA is expected to present a detailed state of the industry in Africa report highlighting the achievements, challenges and plans for the future. His presentation and the address by IATA VP Africa on behalf of the Director General 2&CEO of IATA, Alexandre de Juniac, will set the tone for discussions of the two day summit.

The 49th AFRAA AGA is expected to conclude with the adoption of a number of resolutions urging airlines, governments and other stakeholders to act in concert to advance the course of African aviation. AFRAA will also use the occasion to present Awards to individuals and companies that distinguished themselves in the industry in 2016.

On the sidelines of the Assembly and summit will be exhibition of aviation, equipment, component, supplies, IT solutions. Other exhibitors include training resources, consultancy, financial and aircraft leasing service providers. In all, 31 companies will be exhibiting at the AGA. Also participating in the 49th AFRAA AGA will be ICAO, IATA, AFCAC, civil aviation authorities, airport companies, air navigation services providers as well as aircraft and engine manufacturers, component suppliers, and many other service providers.

Notes for Editors
About RwandAir

From its hub at the heart of Africa at Kigali International Airport, RwandAir is reputed for its excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety, and has one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. RwandAir is an IATA and AFRAA member airline and is IOSA, ISAGO and EASA certified. With a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body Airbus A330 acquired last year, the airline currently reaches out to twenty-four destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

This year, RwandAir started flights to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels. RwandAir also introduced flights to Dakar, Abidjan, Libreville and Brazzaville from its new hub in Cotonou and will start operations to Bamako and Conakry from the same hub by the end of December this year. Next year, the airline’s ever growing network will spread to Guangzhou in China and to New York, in the USA.

For more information, please contact:
RwandAir Head Office
Kigali International Airport, Top Floor
Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: (+250) 788 177 000
Email:communications@rwandair.com
Website:

About AFRAA
The African Airlines Association, also known by its acronym AFRAA, is a trade association of airlines from the member states of the African Union (AU). Founded in Accra, Ghana, in April, 1968, and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the primary purposes of AFRAA are to foster commercial and technical co-operation among African airlines and to represent their common interests.

AFRAA membership of 30 airlines cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over80% of total international traffic carried by African airlines. Currently, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Airways, Dr. Titus Naikuni is the President of AFRAA.

For more information, please contact:
The Secretary General
AFRAA Secretariat
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 2320144/2320148
Email: afraa@afraa.org
Website: www.afraa.org

On Fraudulent Job Offers/Recruitments on behalf of RwandAir Limited

RwandAir would like to inform its esteemed customers that there is a change in the schedule on the Kigali – Lagos – Accra route which will become Kigali – Accra – Lagos on Friday 12th, 19th and 26th January 2018 as shown below:

From 2nd February to 24th March, flights to Accra will be on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday only.

We apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause.

Thank you for your understanding.

Due to planned closure of Moi International Airport

Kigali – 13th February, 2018. RwandAir, the national carrier of the Republic of Rwanda is pleased to announce that it will soon commence flights to Abuja in Nigeria and Cape Town in South Africa. RwandAir will operate four weekly flights from Kigali to Cape Town with a stopover in Harare. The Abuja flight will be tagged to the existing Accra route, where the flight will stop in Abuja before heading to Accra and it will also be operated four times a week.

“This is yet another big milestone for RwandAir as we continue to expand our network. Our aim is to provide to our customers seamless and better connections on the continent and beyond. Abuja and Cape Town come in as a boost to the different economies in terms of tourism and trade on one hand, and enhance bilateral partnership between our countries on the other hand”, said Chance Ndagano Ag. CEO of RwandAir.

Commonly referred to as the Mother City, Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath the Table Mountain, one of the top tourist attractions of the city along with Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope and Robben Island. Built in 1980s, Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria and is the only city in Africa that was built solely for the purpose of being the capital city. Abuja’s top tourist attractions include Aso Rock, Gurara waterfalls, Millennium Park, National Ecumenical Center and the Abuja National Mosque to name but a few.
The two new destinations will take RwandAir’s destinations to twenty-six (26).

About RwandAir

From its hub at the heart of Africa located at Kigali International Airport, RwandAir is reputed for its excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety, and has one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. RwandAir, an IATA member airline renewed its IOSA certification and has been ISAGO and EASA certified.
With a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body Airbus A330 acquired last year, the airline currently reaches out to twenty-four (24) destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Last year, RwandAir started flights from Kigali to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels as well as Dakar from its new hub in Cotonou. RwandAir also introduced flights to Abidjan, Libreville and Brazzaville from its Cotonou hub. This year, RwandAir is planning to fly to Guangzhou in China, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Bamako in Mali and Conakry in Guinea. RwandAir also plans to enter the American market with flights to New York, in the USA.

RwandAir would like to inform its esteemed customers.

KIGALI — 29th March, 2018—RwandAir and Question Coffee announced today a ground breaking partnership to serve Rwandan specialty coffee on all of RwandAir flights with over 2 million cups to be offered in the next 2 years. This partnership allows passengers the opportunity to support small holder women farmers and their families in Rwanda.

RwandAir is proud to advance the Made in Rwanda initiative through its industry leadership by offering Question Coffee. RwandAir will be connecting the world to locally grown and roasted coffee. Question Coffee is a social enterprise funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and powered by 27,000 women who are now managing their own businesses and supporting their families in Rwanda.

“Serving the fresh and wonderfully tasty Rwandan coffee on our flights gives us gratification to offer to our clients the best, to continue promoting Rwandan products and sustain our community” said Chance Ndagano, the Ag. Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir.

About RwandAir

From its hub at the heart of Africa at Kigali International Airport, RwandAir is reputed for its excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety, and has one of the youngest fleet on the African continent. RwandAir, an IATA member airline renewed its IOSA certification and has been ISAGO and EASA certified.

With a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body Airbus A330 acquired last year, the airline currently reaches out to twenty-four (24) destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Last year, RwandAir started flights from Kigali to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels as well as Dakar from its new hub in Cotonou. RwandAir also introduced flights to Abidjan, Libreville and Brazzaville from its Cotonou hub. This year, RwandAir is planning to fly to Abuja in Nigeria, Cape Town in South Africa in April and May, respectively. Guangzhou in China, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Bamako in Mali and Conakry in Guinea, will also be added this year to our expanding network. RwandAir also plans to enter the American market with flights to New York, in the USA.

rwandair.com

About Question Coffee

Question Coffee is a social enterprise seeking to expand the domestic market for specialty coffee grown by Rwandan women. Question Coffee operates a training center in Kigali where Rwandans can develop their skills in coffee roasting, tasting, preparation and service. The center also acts as a public café where guests can enjoy the tastes of Rwanda in a hand-crafted coffee drink, or a bag of fresh roasted beans. Question Coffee offers guests an opportunity to learn about coffee either through a class in the Kigali tasting room or through a visit to a coffee farm where women farmers teach how they grow and process coffee. Across Rwanda, Question Coffee’s women-grown specialty coffee can be found at leading hotels, cafés and restaurants. All proceeds from Question Coffee’s operations are re-invested in the women coffee growers. To learn more about where do drink Question Coffee, or to book an experience, visit questioncoffee.com

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. To learn more please visit bloomberg.org