RWANDAIR TO START DIRECT FLIGHTS TO MUMBAI
RwandAir is excited to share that the airline will begin flights to Mumbai, India in September. The airline will fly direct between Kigali and Mumbai, with a stopover in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The flight between Mumbai and Kigali will increase tourism as well as business opportunities and strengthen the relationship between the two nations. RwandAir will serve the route with four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
“This is a big milestone for the airline as we continue to expand and open Rwanda to the world. As we introduce wide body aircraft into our fleet, Mumbai was selected to be our first long haul destination and will definitely connect the people of Rwanda and India together. We are extremely happy and very enthusiastic about the exchanges between the two countries,” said John Mirenge, RwandAir Chief Executive Officer.
Clarence Fernandes, Co-Chairman Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee, Indian Merchant’s Chamber and Representative Rwanda Development Board added: “Air connectivity is always a key factor in promoting any destination. With RwandAir providing this vital link, we can look forward to a very satisfying year ahead in terms of Indian visitors to this beautiful land of a thousand hills and a million smiles. This connectivity will also facilitate trade and investment between India and Rwanda.”
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest fleets on the African continent. The airline has excellent on time performance, reaching seventeen cities in western, eastern and southern Africa and the Middle East.
RwandAir recently passed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit with flying colours, a demonstration of the airline’s commitment to operate with the highest international and industry safety standards.
RwandAir is currently pursuing another certification, the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations, which will be completed by June 2016.
We look forward to welcoming our first passengers on board our first flights between Kigali and Mumbai in September. Visit www.rwandair.com to find out when you can book your ticket!
AVIATION PLAYERS TO CONVERGE IN KIGALI – RWANDA FOR THE 5TH AVIATION STAKEHOLDERS CONVENTION, 07-09 MAY 2016
Kigali, Rwanda – 10 March 2016: Aviation stakeholders will meet in Kigali, Rwanda from 07-09 May 2016 at the 5th Aviation Stakeholders Convention. The conference is being organised by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in partnership with RwandAir with the view to fostering dialogue, building sustainable networks in supply chain management, creating a competitive environment for aviation business in the continent.
Convened under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, this important industry event in Africa has been endorsed by Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority and Rwanda Development Board and is expected to bring together about 400 participants consisting mainly of airlines, Civil Aviation Authorities, airports, Air Navigation Service Providers, ground handlers, regulators, aircraft/engine manufacturers, component suppliers, service providers in the aviation industry and other aviation stakeholders.
According to IATA’s 20-year passenger forecast, Africa is set for strong expansion in air connectivity with passenger growth expected to average 4.4%. This growth in both passenger and cargo is spurred by huge economic growth and investments in many African countries. Aviation supports 6.9 million jobs and $80 billion in GDP in Africa and its important role in the continent cannot be understated. Building partnerships for the mutual benefit of the aviation industry is necessary in order to exploit the opportunities in Africa and overcome the huge challenges that abound in the continent.
“AFRAA aims to bring together the suppliers of the whole range of aviation products and services and the potential customers of these products and services at one venue annually for purposes of networking, knowledge exchange, business negotiations and forging of win-win business relationships,” AFRAA Secretary General, Dr. Chingosho said. He added that the forum is a platform that facilitates the exploitation of opportunities in the continent by the various stakeholders with the view to ultimately improve the aviation support base in the continent. He paid tribute to RwandAir noting the airline’s important role in connecting the country to the African continent and indeed to the rest of the world.
RwandAir Chief Executive Officer Mr. John Mirenge thanked the Association for choosing Remarkable Rwanda as the venue for the Convention. He said, “RwandAir is an important player in the aviation industry in the region. Staging the Convention at RwandAir’s home base and hub will be a great opportunity to further strengthen Rwanda’s place as an aviation country in the region.” He added that hosting the convention in Kigali is a great opportunity to showcase the country’s infrastructure and natural attractions for business, tourism, personal travel as well as a preferred destination for conference tourism.
Convened under the theme “Winning Together through Innovation and Collaboration”, the conference is structured to incorporate presentations and panel discussions on trendy subjects in aviation on one hand and on the other, the event shall allow for networking opportunities, one-to-one appointments and masterclasses facilitated by industry experts. There will also be an exhibition of products, solutions and services by aviation suppliers in different categories. Suppliers and/or service providers will benefit from the outstanding visibility, networking and direct sales opportunities by displaying their products and interacting with delegates at the conference. The Convention will also provide an outstanding brand visibility and business opportunity for industry partners and suppliers of equipment, components, solutions and services.
RwandAir is the official carrier of the event and is granting discounts on air travel for all delegates attending the Aviation Stakeholders Convention for all flights throughout its network. More information about the event and registration for participation is available on the dedicated event website: .
Among the proud event sponsors and exhibitors include: African Aerospace, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), Bombardier, EgyptAir Training Center and MRO, Ethiopian Airlines MRO and Aviation Academy, Hahnair, Kenya Airways MRO and Training Center, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, MTU Maintenance, Sabre Airline Solutions, SITA, South African Airways Technical and Training, Tunisair Technics, VIVO Energy Uganda and Wirecard Technologies GMBH.
Notes for Editors
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 cuts across the entire continent of Africa and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines.
For further information, please contact:
The AFRAA Secretariat
P. O. Box 20116 – 00200
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel:+254 20 2320144/48
Email:afraa@afraa.org
Website: www.afraa.org
About RwandAir:
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa RwandAir, well reputed for an excellent on time performance operates one of the youngest fleet on the African continent, and reaches out to seventeen cities in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East.
The airline is a certified IOSA operator and an IATA member airline; it is also undergoing the certification process for the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) for which the completion is expected by June this year.
As part of RwandAir expansion strategy, this year the airline will expand its operations to Asia and Europe with the delivery of two brand new triple class Airbus A330s and one brand new dual class B737-800NG; and another Boeing 737-800NG will join the young fleet next year. The Boeings will enable the airline to increase frequencies on some of the existing routes and start new routes on the continent.
For more information, please contact:
RWANDAIR Head Office
Kigali International Airport
P.O. Box 7275 Kigali
Tel: +250 788 177 000
Email : communications@rwandair.com
Website : www.rwandair.com
Kigali, Rwanda, April 4th, 2016 – DFASS Group, the world’s largest global in-flight duty free specialty retailer is expanding its African operations under a new relationship with RwandAir, the flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda. RwandAir is growing rapidly with the addition of new aircraft and destinations. To augment this growth and expand their customer offerings, RwandAir is launching a new onboard duty free retail program.
DFASS Group will use its vast network of prestigious brands and product resources to uniquely merchandise the RwandAir onboard retail program to appeal to the needs and desires of the RwandAir passengers. DFASS has a proven history of working with its airline partners to develop a strong foundation necessary to implement, build and grow a world class retail business. DFASS will provide its state of the art technology both Point of Sale Software (POS) as well as its back office solutions that will benefit RwandAir, its passengers and flight attendants.
In establishing their new inflight duty free service, DFASS was chosen due to its leadership in the industry, including its innovative and creative sales & marketing plans coupled with access to prestige products, as well as its global operational infrastructure.
“DFASS Group has the unique ability to deliver proper portfolio of products that appeal to RwandAir’s passengers along with its consumer marketing programs coupled with its powerful state of the art technology that are strong elements to create a powerful in-flight duty free program for RwandAir”, said John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir
“RwandAir is an important partner for DFASS Group and we believe that there are tremendous growth opportunities in the African region”, said Benny Klepach, CEO of the DFASS Group. “RwandAir is excited to commence its new duty free program to better serve their customers. An active partnership is integral to the success of any inflight program.”
“We are proud to have been selected by RwandAir,” says Saul Hyatt, President and COO – America’s –EMEA. “RwandAir is growing rapidly. We are planning for today as well as for the future of the program to support all of RwandAir’s exciting strategic plans. We are all very thrilled about the opportunity.”
About RwandAir
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir well reputed for an excellent on time performance operates one of the youngest fleet on the African continent, and reaches out to seventeen cities in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East.
The airline is a certified IOSA operator and an IATA member airline; it is also undergoing the certification process for the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) for which the completion is expected by June this year.
As part of RwandAir expansion strategy, this year the airline will expand its operations to Asia and Europe with the delivery of two brand new triple class Airbus A330s and one brand new dual class B737-800NG; and another Boeing 737-800NG will join the young fleet next year. The Boeings will enable the airline to increase frequencies on some of the existing routes and start new routes on the continent.
For more information, please contact:
RWANDAIR Head Office
Kigali International Airport
P.O. Box 7275 Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: +250 788 177 000
Email : communications@rwandair.com
Website : www.rwandair.com
YELLOW FEVER PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Following instructions of the Rwanda Ministry of Health on the occurrence of the Yellow Fever; RwandAir, the national carrier of the Republic of Rwanda wishes to inform all passengers and the public at large that a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is now required before entering the country.
While Rwanda isn’t among the Yellow Fever endemic countries1, the Ministry of Health has set precautionary measures for all travelers going to and out of Rwanda.
Measures taken are as follows:
For more information, please visit the Ministry of Health website at www.moh.gov.rw
Yellow Fever endemic countries1 : Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia Plurinational, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela
Active Yellow Fever transmission outbreak country2: Angola
The line maintenance department announced the release of Jimmy Abdul Rahman Sekizinduka as a certified engineer on Bombardier CRJ-900NextGen aircraft. He is the first Rwandan Engineer to have achieved such a milestone in RwandAir.
The line maintenance department which counts 31 engineers in total has 6 Rwandan certified engineers on Boeing 737 and will see two more Rwandan engineers getting the Bombardier CRJ900 certification by May this year.
Eng. Jimmy is now in position to sign off and release the aircraft under SAMCO (the sub-contracted Aircraft Maintenance Organization – AMO) Quality Assurance system.
In a bid to cost cut and build our own capacity across the board, RwandAir is also working towards obtaining its own AMO certification on Bombardier CRJ by July this year; another ground breaking milestone.
“ I take this opportunity again to congratulate Jimmy for the great achievement on becoming our first Rwandan certified Engineer on Bombardier CRJ 900NextGen and I encourage more Rwandan Engineers to follow his path” said Gerard Mutabazi, the Maintenance Manager on behalf RwandAir Management.
The airline currently operates two Bombardier CRJ-900NextGen registered under 9XR-WH & WI, which were delivered brand new from Bombardier in 2012. The two dual class jets serve our Eastern and Central African routes.
About CRJ series
The CRJ Series introduced new technologies, new thinking and new performance standards to regional aviation, and is the world’s most successful family of regional jets. The aircraft has revolutionized aviation with its proven efficiency, reliability, and profitability. With a common engine unique in its segment, advanced avionics in the flight deck, lighter weight, and advanced aerodynamics, every jet in the CRJ Series is designed to deliver significantly improved cost efficiency, excellent airfield performance and en-route fuel consumption.
Kigali, Rwanda – 09 May 2016: The African Airlines Association and RwandAir are hosting the 5th Aviation Stakeholders Convention in Kigali, Rwanda from 7-9 May 2016 at the Serena Hotel. The Convention’s aim is to foster dialogue between stakeholders in order to build sustainable networks in supply chain management and create a competitive environment for aviation business in the continent.
The three-day conference which is being convened under the high patronage of Honourble, James Musoni, the Minister of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, is being held under the theme “Winning together through Innovation and Collaboration” and has attendance of over 350 high profile delegates from 43 countries across the world.
The overwhelming interest in this conference which is now in its fifth year indicates that the aviation sector in Africa abounds in opportunities. With a population of over 1.0 billion and a growing middle class, Africa accounts for 12% of the world’s population. Aviation in Africa is set to grow at 4.7%, outperforming the global average of 3.8%, with seven out of the ten fastest-growing markets in percentage terms being in Africa. On the other hand, African Airlines continue to be unprofitable and Africa is the highest losing region in the world.
AFRAA Secretary General, Dr. Chingosho in his welcome remarks said that a successful and viable African aviation industry is achievable, but this requires rigorous efforts as well as close coordination and collaboration by all stakeholders ranging from governments, regulatory authorities, airports, air navigation service providers, suppliers of the wide range of aviation products and services and the customers. “Together, we can ensure an integrated, interconnected Africa that is competitive within itself and globally, we would like to assist these various stakeholders forge win-win business relationships,” he added.
Emphasizing the relevance of the event theme, Mr. Fidelis O. Onyeyiri who delivered the opening speech on behalf of AFCAC Secretary General noted the numerous positive effects of successful collaboration amongst aviation stakeholders, In his speech, he informed the conference that AFCAC as the Executing Agency of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) on its part, was working together with industry partners, AFRAA, IATA and ICAO towards the realization of the achievement of the Single African Air Transport Market by 2017. “This we believe, is crucial for the sustainable development and integration of the African continent,” he said.
Mr. Barry Kashambo, ICAO Regional Director for the Eastern and Southern African Regional Office in his speech commended AFRAA for organizing the event noting that the theme was fully in line with the ICAO “No Country Left Behind” Campaign, which advocates for team work, coordination arrangements and mutual assistance through among States, in collaboration with Stakeholders. He said that, while the potential benefits of growth are enormous, chances are that they will not fully materialize unless the appropriate environment is created in an economically sound global air transport system for all stakeholders.
RwandAir Chief Executive Officer Mr. John Mirenge thanked the Association for choosing Remarkable Rwanda as the venue for the Convention. He expressed RwandAir’s commitment to the activities of the Association. “Rwanda is hosting major conferences and in particular RwandAir will be hosting the 49th Annual General Assembly of AFRAA in 2017 in Kigali. This in in line with the Government’s strategy of promoting Kigali as a hub for meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE). He thanked the Government of Rwanda for having prioritized aviation development through various initiatives and policies geared towards economic growth.
The Minister of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, Honourable James Musoni in his speech, underscored the Rwandan Government’s commitment to aviation development in Africa, highlighting various areas where it had taken measures in facilitating travel in particular the implementation of visa on arrival for all Africans in an effort to stimulate aviation, trade, investment and tourism. Hon. Musoni also expressed the Government of Rwanda’s commitment to the full liberalisation of African skies in keeping with the letter and spirit of the Yamoussoukro Decision and called upon all African States to honour their obligations for full implementation of YD.
Hon. Musoni thanked AFRAA and RwandAir for their excellent organisation of the Convention and wished delegates fruitful discussions during the two days. Hon. Musoni was the Guest of Honour and opened the Convention on behalf of the Government of Rwanda.
As part of the conference, there will be presentations and panel discussions on trendy subjects in aviation, networking opportunities and one-to-one appointment sessions. In addition to the conference plenary sessions, the programme has been structured to incorporate master classes where cutting edge ideas, industry best practices, new opportunities and practical solutions will be presented and discussed. The following masterclasses have been scheduled:
There will also be an exhibition of products, solutions and services by aviation suppliers in different categories. Suppliers and/or service providers will benefit from the outstanding visibility, networking and direct sales opportunities by displaying their products and interacting with delegates at the conference. The event exhibitors include: African Aerospace, Akagera Aviation, Airbus, ATNS, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, CANSO, Ethiopian Aviation Academy and MRO, Hahnair, Kenya Airways MRO and Training Center, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, MTU Maintenance, Omni Air International, Aster Training Tunisia, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, RwandAir, Sabre Airline Solutions, Servair, SITA, South African Airways (SOC) LTD, Spectrum Aviation, Tunisair Technics, VIVO Energy Uganda and Wirecard Technologies GMBH.
The event is proudly sponsored by: A bed in Africa, Airbus, ATNS, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, Engen Petroleum Ltd, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, RwandAir, Sabre Airline Solutions, Servair, SITA, UAS International Trip Support and VIVO Energy Uganda.
Notes for Editors
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 cuts across the entire continent of Africa and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines.
For further information, please contact:
The AFRAA Secretariat
P. O. Box 20116 – 00200
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel:+254 20 2320144/48
Email:afraa@afraa.org
Website: www.afraa.org
May 20th – Every year like many Rwandans and friends of Rwanda, RwandAir staff participate in commemoration activities of the Genocide against the Tutsi which are carried out for 100 days from April 7th.
As part of the Kwibuka22 commemoration activities, RwandAir staff, together with staff from the Ministry of Infrastructure , and its other affiliated agencies led by the Hon. Minister of State in charge of Transport, Dr. Alexis Nzahabwanimana visited the survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Murambi village, Nyamata District, in the Eastern Province.
RwandAir has been supporting families of former RwandAir staff and specifically for the last three years , this village was supported with their houses renovations, then connecting them to the electricity grid and soon works will commence for each house to access water.
RwandAir staff had the opportunity to reiterate their pledged continuous support to this village ; and the survivors expressed their gratitude by presenting a gift to Mr. John Mirenge RwandAir Chief Executive Officer.
Thereafter the staff proceeded for a walk from the Nyamata district office to the memorial site then concluded with discussions held at the Ministry of Infrastructure reflecting back to this year’s theme: ”Fighting the genocide ideology” with CNLG and IBUKA representatives among others.
The Management of RwandAir takes the opportunity to appreciate all staff who continue to contribute towards the support to the survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi in and urge the staff to relentlessly fight the Genocide ideology as we continue to preserve history of the Genocide to inspire the younger generation so that what happened never happens again in Rwanda or anywhere else in the world.
Kigali, 1st June 2016 – RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda is pleased to announce the successful renewal of the IOSA certification with the enhanced IOSA process under the IATA – IOSA registry valid from June 13th 2016 until June 13th 2018. RwandAir’s first certification was obtained in June 2014.
The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is an internationally recognized and acepted evaluation system designed to access the operational management and control systems of an airline, which occurs every two years once the airline successfully completes the first audit.
“Renewing our IOSA registration is vital to the sustainability of RwandAir as it ensures continuous development of IATA standards, regulatory requirements and industry best practices within its operations”, said Sonia Kamikazi, the Corporate Quality Assurance Manager.
RwandAir passed this IOSA renewal audit with an exemplary report that had minimal findings and observations, following the audit conducted on RwandAir operations system from January 29th to February 04th 2016 by the audit organization WAKE QA.
“I congratulate all our employees for their hard work in maintaining these international and highly recognized standards for RwandAir, setting the trend for the African aviation industry”; said John Mirenge, the Chief Executive Officer, celebrating yet another significant milestone for the airline.
As safety remains our number one priority, preparations for the ISAGO certification, the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations, are in full force, with an audit anticipated for later this month.
About RwandAir
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir reaches out to seventeen cities in Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa and the Middle East. RwandAir operates one of the youngest fleet in Africa and is well reputed for excellent on time performance, safety, and customer services.
As part of RwandAir’s expansion strategy, in the last quarter of this year, RwandAir will add some six destinations in Africa and commence long haul operations to Mumbai and Guangzhou. This will be enabled by its acquisition of two wide-bodied A330 aircraft and two additional Boeing B737-800NG aircraft.
For more information, please contact:
RWANDAIR Head Office
Kigali International Airport
Tel: +250 788 177 000
Email : communications@rwandair.com
Website : www.rwandair.com
RwandAir is pleased to offer discounts to delegates attending the 27th AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT DISCOUNT as listed below terms and conditions:
In order to enjoy the discount, delegates will be required to prove that their travel is for the conference and they will also be required to book and pay for their tickets by the 8th of July 2016. Their travel dates must be between the 05th of July 2016 and the 23rd of July 2016.
THow to take Advantage of the Offer:
Delegates are advised to take special note of the following:
RwandAir looks forward to welcoming all delegates on board our flights and to offer our warm hospitality!
For more information, please contact the nearest RwandAir sales office.
Kigali, 10th July 2016 – RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda appoints Bird Travels Pvt Ltd, the Airline Management Services arm of Bird Group as it’s new General Sales Agent for the Indian market.
As RwandAir is planning to commence operations to Mumbai, India in the last quarter of this year, it has selected the Bird Travel as its General Sales Agent for the Indian market.
John Mirenge, RwandAir’s Chief Executive Officer stated that, “ we have selected Bird
Travel to position our brand, create awareness of our products and sell our services in this important new market.”
The new GSA, Bird Travel will use its vast experience and will be the immediate liaison
for the airline’s sales development in India, including ticketing and direct support services to the travel trade.
“Bird Travel is happy to be associated with RwandAir as their exclusive GSA in India.
RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines on the African continent and has
aggressive plans to connect India and Africa through their hub in Kigali, Rwanda. We
look forward to a great working association with RwandAir and are optimistic of making
their online operations a success,” commented Praful Khosla, Executive Vice President, Bird Travel.
RwandAir will be operating four weekly flights to Mumbai with its brand new A330-300,
a state of the art triple class 274 wide-body seater equipped with full flat beds in business class and unmatched leg room in premium economy, with inflight entertainment and Wi-Fi as well as GSM connectivity across all three classes.
About RwandAir
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir reaches out to seventeen cities in Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa and the Middle East. RwandAir operates one of the youngest fleet in Africa and is well reputed for excellent on time performance, safety, and customer services.
The airline is a certified IOSA operator and an IATA member airline; it is also
undergoing the certification process for the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations
(ISAGO) for which the completion is expected in the last quarter of this year.
As part of RwandAir’s expansion strategy, in the last quarter of this year, RwandAir will
add some six destinations in Africa and commence long haul operations to Mumbai and Guangzhou. This will be enabled by its acquisition of two wide-bodied A330 aircraft and two additional Boeing B737-800NG aircraft.
For more information, please email: communications@rwandair.com
Website: www.rwandair.com
About Bird Group
The Bird Group was founded in 1971 with the incorporation of Bird Travels. Bird
Travels, an aviation management company, is the founding company within the Group,
representing airlines and other travel and tourism partners majorly as GSA operations,
and Aviation Management arm for airlines.
With over 40 years of experience and more than 45 offices supported by over 6000 well trained staff and an impressive clientele of over 500 top corporates, Bird Group can claim to be one of the largest and most diversified entities within the industry in the Indian subcontinent. With businesses as diverse as pioneering back-office processing to being the representative for many of the world’s leading airlines; from managing the backbone of the technological framework for airline IT and distribution to managing crucial relationships of international service providers, Bird Group has ensured that a comprehensive portfolio of service offering has been created to add value to an extensive client base and add new potential customers. And in recent months, Bird Group has taken bold steps to increasing the value offering while broadening business horizons with new ventures. Today Bird Group’s core business includes Travel Technology, Aviation Services, Hospitality, Luxury Retail and Education.
Kigali, August 18th 2016 – The Management of RwandAir is pleased to announce the commencement of flights to Cotonou, in Benin and Abidjan in Ivory Coast effective September 2st and October 8tht 2016 respectively, with three weekly flights each. Both our flights to Cotonou and to Abidjan will be operated by our young B737-700 and -800 aircraft.
The flights to Cotonou will be tagged to the existing Kigali – Douala and Libreville routes, while the flights to Abidjan will be tagged with Accra. Both schedules into Cotonou and into Abidjan will be on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and out of Cotonou and Abidjan will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
“With the addition of these two destinations, RwandAir continues to fulfill its mission of connecting Rwanda with West Africa to build sustainable ties among sister African cities and enable trade and tourism between the two countries,” said Jean Paul Nyirubutama, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Rwandair.
Cotonou and Abidjan will take the airline’s growing network to nineteen destinations all connecting through Kigali, at the heart of Africa.
About RwandAir
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir currently reaches out to seventeen cities in Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa and the Middle East. RwandAir operates one of the youngest fleet in Africa and is well reputed for excellent on time performance, safety, and customer services.
The airline is a certified IOSA operator and an IATA member airline; it is also undergoing the certification process for the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) for which the completion is expected in the last quarter of this year.
As part of RwandAir’s expansion strategy, in December this year RwandAir commences long haul operations to Mumbai. This will be enabled by its acquisition of two triple class wide-bodied A330 aircraft.
In the first quarter of 2017, the airline will operate new routes to Harare and Durban with Boeing B737-800NG aircraft.
In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, RwandAir has banned the transportation of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones as Cargo aboard its flights. Passengers are strongly advised to ensure that no mobile phone is used during flight and not to stow them in any checked baggage.On the A330 aircraft equipped with connectivity services passengers who are in possession of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones are advised not to turn on or charge these devices onboard the aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage.
