RwandAir has big plans Delta gets connected for Africa and beyond

RWANDAIR plans to extend its
network beyond Africa and into
Europe, Asia and the United
States. In the first quarter of next year,
the airline hopes to introduce services
from Kigali to London Gatwick and
Mumbai. It has also set its sights on a
Kigali-Washington, DC service in 2018
and wants to add Guangzhou to its
route network, although a launch date
has not yet been set.
According to Thembela Dladla,
country manager of RwandAir South
Africa, both the London Gatwick and
Mumbai services are in the final
stages of planning with the airline
concluding the bilateral agreements.
The airline plans to fly to Gatwick
and Mumbai four times a week. Both
routes will be serviced by an A330-
300 aircraft configured with 20 seats
in business class, 21 in premium
economy and 223 in economy.
At this stage, details of the
Washington, DC route are still being
finalised.
Thembela also told TNW that the
airline was investigating the possibility
of flying to Cape Town.
Earlier this year, TNW reported that
RwandAir would launch its KigaliDurban
and Kigali-Mumbai services
before the end of the year (TNW June
16, 2016). Thembela says the delay in
the commencement of these services
is due to the late delivery of aircraft.
The airline will now add Durban to its
early 2017 schedule.
Dinesh Naidoo, group operations
director of Serendipity Worldwide
Group, says there is definitely
a market for a carrier to take
passengers from Durban to Mumbai
via Kigali. Airlines currently servicing
the market travelling to India from
Durban include Emirates, Ethiopian
and Qatar “but Qatar doesn’t connect
that well. You’ve got a long layover in
Doha,” he says.
Dinesh says the Durban market is
price-sensitive, but Thembela says
RwandAir will offer competitive fares
across its entire network.
Thembela says one of the airline’s
competitive advantages lies in its
entirely new and fuel-efficient fleet.
“We will continue to add to the
fleet in the coming years,” he says.
Another major benefit is the location
of RwandAir’s hub. “We’re right in the
heart of Africa.” He says Rwanda’s
relaxed visa regulations allows for
easy travel for most African countries,
South Africa included, as travellers
receive visas on arrival.