Kigali ─23 March, 2021. RwandAir is the first African airline to vaccinate all staff against Covid-19, which will position the carrier as one of the safest on the continent.
The airline began its vaccination rollout programme earlier this month targeting all staff and crew who received their first shot.
Non-airline staff at Kigali International Airport, the airline’s hub, have been vaccinated as well to ensure a safe and secure environment for all passengers.
The drive comes just after RwandAir announced it will be the first carrier in Africa to start trialling the IATA Travel Pass in April 2021 to enable the safe resumption of international travel.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, said: “Rwanda’s rapid roll-out of the first consignment of vaccines to arrive in the country prioritized all frontline workers, including RwandAir’s staff and crew. The vaccination programme has been designed to ensure we provide a safe and secure environment for travellers, both in the air and on the ground.”
“We have carefully considered every customer touchpoint at Kigali International Airport and on board our aircraft, as the world resumes travelling in the post-Covid era.”
“We look forward to welcoming our customers back to RwandAir. As an airline, the health and safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we have been working hard to restore our customers’ confidence to fly.”
In addition to RwandAir staff and crew, the staff of other airlines operating at the Kigali International Airport also received their Covid-19 vaccinations at the same time.
For more information about RwandAir, please visit www.rwandair.com
ENDS
For further information, please contact: communications@rwandair.com
Notes to Editor:
About RwandAir
Operating from Kigali, with its hub at the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest state-of-the-art fleets on the African continent. With a reputation for delivering a premium service to all its customers, RwandAir operates 12 aircraft with an average age of just under six years. The airline currently offers services to 25 destinations across 21 countries throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia
Kigali ─23 February, 2021. RwandAir will become the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass to enable safe and seamless international travel. The airline will begin a three-week trial in April for customers travelling between Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya.
IATA Travel Pass is a digital platform to help passengers easily and securely verify that they comply with COVID 19 test or vaccine travel requirements, in turn giving governments the confidence to reopen borders.
Developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world’s airlines, the platform is designed to be incorporated into airlines’ own apps, so travellers by air easily understand what they need before they fly.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, said: “RwandAir is proud to be the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass, which could reinforce all the health and safety measures and protocols which we have put in place to restore customer confidence to fly once more. We are incredibly proud to be part of IATA’s Industry Advisory Panel, to ensure we guide the technology development in a way that covers the unique requirements of our passenger profile.
“IATA’s innovative solution simplifies and digitally transmits the information required by countries and governments around the world into our airline systems, in a secure and efficient manner.
“Travel Pass will make it easy for our customers to resume flying – and just as easy for RwandAir, and airlines around the world, to accept them.
Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO, said: “RwandAir is showing its industry leadership in Africa by becoming the first airline on the continent to trial IATA Travel Pass. RwandAir has long used IATA products as the most reliable source of information on entry requirements. This trial will build on that history of working in partnership and takes us a step further in the context of COVID-19. IATA Travel Pass will give governments the confidence to re-open their borders knowing that arriving passengers are in full compliance with any testing or vaccination requirements.”
The trial app has a range of features, including a registry of testing centres and labs at the departure and/or arrival location which can conduct COVID-19 tests in accordance with the type of test required for the journey.”
RwandAir customers participating in the trial will create a ‘digital passport’ which verifies that their pre-travel COVID-19 test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination they are travelling to.
They will also be able to safely and securely share their test and vaccination certificates with participating authorities and airlines around the world to ensure smooth and seamless travel.
For more information about RwandAir, please visit www.rwandair.com
ENDS
For further information, please contact: communications@rwandair.com
Notes to Editor:
About RwandAir
Operating from Kigali, with its hub at the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest state-of-the-art fleets on the African continent. With a reputation for delivering a premium service to all its customers, RwandAir operates 12 aircraft with an average age of just under six years. The airline currently offers services to 25 destinations across 21 countries throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Kigali- January 28, 2021. RwandAir is set to launch a new route into Central Africa withflights to Bangui.
The launch of the new intra-African service to the Central African Republic is part of RwandAir’s recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as it opens up new markets and destinations.
The Kigali-based airline will fly to Bangui the capital of Central African Republic, twice a week from February 3 2021, with flights operating on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Tagged to the existing route to Douala in Cameroon, the flight will be operated by one of the airline’s existing Boeing 737 aircraft, offering customers a choice of seats in two cabins, Business Class and Economy Class.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “The launch of our new twice-weekly service to Bangui will open up a new lucrative market for RwandAir and help stimulate trade in the region and beyond Africa”.“Thanks to RwandAir’s quick and easy connections via our Kigali hub, we believe this new route will strengthen the growing trade ties in Africa and bolster Rwanda’s growing economy. Customers will benefit from more choice, through our premium onboard service, and will fly in a safe and hygienic environment thanks to our world-class cleaning measures.”
Since August 1 2020, RwandAir has gradually resumed commercial flights across its global network, including most of its African routes, as well as some long-haul destinations such as London Heathrow, Brussels and Dubai.
To ensure the health and safety of its customers as its number one priority, RwandAir has also published a Five-Step Health & Safety Guide to provide for a clean and secure onboard experience.
Tickets for Bangui are now available for sale through rwandair.com, sales offices and travel agencies, and include complimentary travel insurance.
For further information, please contact: communications@rwandair.com
Due to the 24 hour curfew in Lagos state, our flight WB202/203 scheduled on 21st October has been cancelled. Affected passengers will be rebooked on the next available flight. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Kigali – September 18, 2020 – RwandAir will resume flights to and from London and Brussels to Kigali from October 3, 2020, as it reinstates its passenger network.
The resumption of European services will see the leading African carrier switch its UK operations from London Gatwick, with commercial flights to the Rwandan capital now departing from London Heathrow for the first time.
The inaugural RwandAir service from Kigali to Brussels and London Heathrow will depart on October 3 at 1:00 AM local time and operate using an A330 twin-aisle aircraft.
Flights will initially resume on a twice-weekly basis, before increasing to three-times-weekly from October 25, reconnecting the UK with Rwanda for passenger and critical cargo operations.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, said: “Now travel bans and restrictions are being relaxed, we can once again resume flying to and from London and Brussels, and look forward to welcoming customers flying from Europe back to RwandAir.
“We have been operating cargo and repatriation flights from London Heathrow during the pandemic and we are now delighted to operate scheduled passenger flights for the first time into and out of one of Europe’s premier airports.
“The move will significantly benefit customers flying into Heathrow from other UK cities who then wish to fly on seamlessly to Rwanda and other parts of Africa. It has never been easier to reach Kigali or cities such as Nairobi, Entebbe, Lusaka and Harare for passengers travelling from London.”
From March 20 through to July 31, RwandAir suspended all flights from Rwanda, with the exception of freight-only flights to China, to carry critical medical supplies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other essential cargo.
Since August 1, the airline has gradually resumed commercial flights across its global network, including select African routes, as well as some long-haul destinations such as Dubai.
RwandAir has been working hard to prepare for the return of its customers from around the world, and has published a Five-Step Health & Safety Guide to ensure a clean and secure welcome back on board.
As it ramps up its passenger operations, RwandAir will continue to keep its schedules under constant review, so it can respond quickly and responsibly to customer demand – as well as the changing COVID-19 situation for travel.
For more information about RwandAir, please visit rwandair.com.
Kigali – July 23rd, 2020. RwandAir, the Rwandan national flag carrier, will resume commercial passenger services from 1st August 2020.
Flights will restart with select African routes where travel restrictions have been eased and borders have reopened.
Flights to the airline’s long-haul destination of Dubai will also recommence with a 3 times a week service and more destinations will gradually be added to the network as countries continue to lift travel restrictions.
The airline temporarily suspended commercial flights on 20th March 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Customers can check the full schedule of available flights on www.rwandair.com
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “Now travel bans and restrictions are being relaxed, we can once again resume flying and look forward to welcoming our highly-valued customers back to RwandAir.
“We want to ensure our return to flying matches consumer demand as the world adapts to travel in the post-COVID-19 world, where the health, safety and security of our customers and staff will continue to be of paramount importance.
“As we adjust to the ‘new normal’, our strict new health and hygiene measures will keep customers and our ground and on board crew safe”.
RwandAir has been working hard to prepare for the return of its customers, and has published a Five-Step Health & Safety Guide that can be found on http://rwandair.com/information/prepare-to-fly/five-step-health-safety-guide to ensure a clean and secure welcome back on board.
As RwandAir ramps up passenger flights, the airline will react quickly and responsibly to changing demand, as the world combats the coronavirus outbreak.
Schedules will be kept under constant review to adapt to travel restrictions in different countries.
Customers are recommended to book and check-in online through rwandair.com.
For further booking and rebooking information, please contact us online at reservations@rwandair.com, call at +250 788 177 000, or contact us through travel agents and tour operators.
For more information about RwandAir, please visit rwandair.com
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact us at: communications@rwandair.com
Notes to Editor:
About RwandAir
Operating from Kigali, with its hub at the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest state-of-the-art fleets on the African continent. With a reputation for delivering a premium service to all its customers, RwandAir operates 12 aircraft with an average age of just under six years. It offers services to 29 destinations across 24 countries throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.