RwandAir adds another brand new Bombardier Q400 NextGen      

RwandAir adds another brand new Bombardier Q400 NextGen

Kigali, March 18th 2015 – RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda has signed a lease agreement with lessor Palma Holding Limited to add a second brand new dual class Bombardier Q400 NextGen Turboprop Airliner.

The Bombardier Q400NextGen aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop which provides the perfect balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint.

“Our first dual-class, 67-seat Q400 NextGen aircraft has been performing extremely well and has fully met our expectations. The Q400 NextGen has been proven to be capable to perform in our demanding environment and flexible in supporting our fleet strategy through its increased capacity while efficiently contributing to our commercial strategy”, said John Mirenge, Chief Executive Officer, RwandAir.

“We are delighted to support RwandAir on its path towards further growth and increased profitability. Under our joint venture with Ibdar Bank (Bahrain) we became the first lessor worldwide for the aircraft’s dual-class configuration, we see many exciting business development opportunities for the African region; the aircraft is highly desired by airlines which can be seen with the re-orders making it an attractive asset from a lessor point of view”; said Moulay Omar Alaoui, President Palma Holding Ltd.

RwandAir currently operates two dual-class Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen regional jets, and with the addition of the lease of the aircraft, is adding another Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft to the first one in service since 2014. This addition will then take RwandAir fleet to eight Next Generation aircraft serving its fast growing network.

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 also plans to purchase brand new wide body aircraft in 2016 to expand 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 email: communications@rwandair.com