Rwanda’s flag carrier, RwandAir, has received two additional Boeing 737-800 aircraft this month.
One of these has already entered service with the Kigali-based carrier, while the other is expected to do so shortly.
ADDITIONAL RWANDAIR AIRCRAFT
The Boeing 737-800s, configured with 12 Business Class seats and 162 Economy Class seats, will primarily operate on short and medium-haul flights.
Later this year, RwandAir also anticipates the delivery of a wide-body Airbus A330-200, further enabling the airline to enhance its long-haul operations between Africa and global destinations.
The airline will indeed begin flying between Kigali and both Zanzibar and Mombasa in December this year.
OPERATIONAL STABILITY
The new Boeing aircraft reinforce RwandAir’s commitment to modernising its fleet and expanding its route networks.
The investment in both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft reflects RwandAir’s strategic focus on intra-Africa travel and its goal of connecting Africa to the world.
Other recently serviced aircraft are also returning to operations, and a third aircraft is expected in Q4 of this year.
DELAYS AND DISRUPTIONS
In recent months, RwandAir has experienced numerous unexpected technical disruptions across its fleet.
This temporarily reduced the number of aircraft available for operations. It also led to service adjustments which affected RwandAir’s passengers.
However, the situation is improving with the affected aircraft now successfully having been returned to service.
“RwandAir is pleased to have resolved the challenges to our schedules over the last weeks, and to welcome our aircraft back into operation. We would like to sincerely apologise to all of our customers whose travel plans were disrupted during this period, and thank them for their patience while we worked on service disruptions. Together with the arrival of new aircraft, the strengthened fleet will enable RwandAir to improve reliability, strengthen our schedules, and deliver an even better travel experience to all our passengers.” RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo said.
The added aircraft will significantly enhance service and operations, thereby reducing delays and cancellations.
In fact, the airline aims to expand its fleet to 21 aircraft by 2029.
