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RwandAir

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RwandAir
IATA ICAO Call sign
WB RWD RWANDAIR
Founded1 December 2002; 21 years ago (2002-12-01)
Commenced operations27 April 2003; 21 years ago (2003-04-27)
Operating basesKigali International Airport
Cadjehoun Airport[1]
Kotoka International Airport[2]
Fleet size13
Destinations25[3]
Parent companyGovernment of Rwanda
HeadquartersKigali, Rwanda
Key people
Websiterwandair.com

RwandAir Limited is the flag carrier airline of Rwanda, operating from its main hub at Kigali International Airport. The airline serves 25 destinations across various regions, including East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.[6]

In Africa, RwandAir connects to countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. Internationally, it flies to major cities like Brussels, London, Paris, Dubai, Doha, and Mumbai. This extensive network allows RwandAir to play a significant role in enhancing connectivity within Africa and beyond.[7]

History

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Incorporation

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A former Rwandair Express Boeing 737-500
A former RwandAir Bombardier CRJ200LR

After the 1994 genocide, the government took several attempts to revive the former national carrier Air Rwanda that ceased operations during the genocide. Various private companies showed interest in partnering with the government, and Uganda-based SA Alliance Air ran the company from 1997 to 2000.[8] After SA Alliance ceased operations, the government of Rwanda took over the Rwandan operations and re-branded the airline, to ensure its continuity. RwandAir began operations on 1 December 2002 as the new national carrier for Rwanda under the name Rwandair Express (with passenger air transportation as the core activity). In 2016, RwandAir received International Air Transport Association's Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO).[9]

Re-branding

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The airline began to expand regionally and by 2009 the network included Dar-es-Salaam, Nairobi, and domestic destinations such as Gisenyi. In March 2009, the airline registered the new trademark RwandAir Limited, which is its current operating name. In June 2009, the airline officially re-branded from Rwandair Express to RwandAir, because the new name implied a large, serious airline, while the "Express" in the former name implied a small regional operation.[10]

In May 2010, Rene Janata became the CEO, introducing a frequent flyer program and developing the airline to become a network carrier. In October 2010, John Mirenge became the new CEO of RwandAir.[11]

2010–2015

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In July 2010, the first of RwandAir's new Boeing 737-500s arrived; the second one arrived on 20 October 2010. Both were leased from General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). Each has a two-class configuration with 12 business class seats and 90 economy class seats.[12]

In August 2011, the airline took delivery of their first aircraft purchased directly from an airline manufacturer. All prior aircraft operated by RwandAir had been either leased or bought as a second-hand aircraft. The aircraft that was purchased is a Boeing 737-800 with Sky Interior, also known as the Boeing 737 Next Generation, and was the only one operating among African airlines. The flight departed from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, United States, at 5:30 PM PST. It made its first stop in Keflavík International Airport in Iceland, then it headed for a second stop to Istanbul, Turkey. It finally arrived in Kigali, Rwanda, after a 20-hour flight.[13]

In October 2011, RwandAir took delivery of their second Boeing Next Generation 737-800. During January 2012, the airline disposed of the two CRJ200 aircraft it owned, in anticipation of acquiring two CRJ-900NGs.[14]

In February 2013, John Mirenge announced that the airline would fly to Accra, Cape Town, Harare, Juba, and Zanzibar.[15]

In May 2015, RwandAir officially became an IATA member.[16]

2015 - present

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In 2017, the Government of Benin granted RwandAir seventh freedom rights to operate direct flights from Benin. RwandAir plans to base two Boeing 737 aircraft at Cotonou International Airport in Benin.[17]

In February 2020, two months after Qatar Airways purchased a 60% stake in Rwanda's Bugesera International Airport,[18] the Qatari state-owned airline purchased a 49% stake in RwandAir.[19][20]

Flight Pass[21]

In 2019, RwandAir entered into a partnership with USA-based Optiontown to launch a prepaid flight subscription platform called Flight Pass, which enables customers to pre-purchase RwandAir flights at the best available price and decide when they want to travel at a later date.[22]

In September 2022, the airline's intentions in joining Oneworld, with a sponsorship from Qatar Airways, were announced.[23] This would make RwandAir the third airline to enter an airline alliance in East Africa, after Ethiopian Airlines (Star Alliance) and Kenya Airways (SkyTeam), and second African airline after Royal Air Maroc to join Oneworld.

Corporate affairs

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Ownership and management

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Rwandair is owned 100 percent by the Government of Rwanda.[24][25] As of May 2021, an agreement to sell a 49 percent stake to Qatar Airways is said to be in the final stages.[26][27]

The government hoped to privatise the airline after 2013, once it became profitable; the process had been abandoned in 2008 after it emerged that nobody at the time was willing to offer the amount expected from the sale.[28]

RwandAir's board of directors is responsible for ensuring that the airline follows a suitable corporate governance framework to ensure the creation and protection of value for the shareholder. Patricie Uwase is currently[when?] the chairman of RwandAir since September 2021; the long-time aviation veteran Girma Wake was chairman from 2012 to 2017.[4] Yvonne Manzi Makolo is the current[when?] CEO, having been promoted from deputy CEO in charge of Corporate Affairs in April 2018. She replaced acting CEO Col. Chance Ndagano.[5]

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RwandAir has been loss-making for many years.

Full detailed accounts are rarely published, although intermittently some figures are made public by senior management or the government, or in government budgetary reports. Available trends are shown below (as at year ending 31 December):

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Turnover (FRw bn) 30
Turnover (US$ m) 47.2 81.4 95.3 99.9 126.0 171.3 221.6
Net profit before tax and grant (FRw bn) loss loss loss loss loss loss loss loss loss loss
Net profit before tax and grant (US$ m) loss loss loss loss 65.9 53.4 54.8 101.4 170.7 166.7
Government grant/subsidy received (FRw bn) 10.8 25.2 22.0 27.0 29.1 33.6 49.6 86.3 107.0 127.9
Government grant/subsidy received (US$ m) 54.2 28.5 56.3 53.8 98.1 111.1 143.2
Number of employees (at year end) 749 1360 1367 1692
Number of passengers (m) 0.13 0.20 0.36 0.41 0.50 0.60 0.59 0.89 1.14 1.17
Passenger load factor (%) 60 59 54 59 63
Number of aircraft (at year end) 8 8 8 8 8 12 12 12 12
Notes/sources [29][30] [29][31] [29][32]
[25][33][34] 		[29][35] [29][36][37] [38][39][36][40] [41][42][43][24] [44][24] [45][46][24] [47][48][24]
The head office is in the main building of Kigali International Airport.

Head office

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The airline has its head office on the top floor of the main building of Kigali International Airport in Kigali, Rwanda.[49][50] The airline previously had its head office in Centenary House in Kigali.[51] The airline began moving its operations from Centenary House to the airport on Friday 14 May 2010. The airline was scheduled to be moved in by Monday 17 May 2010.[50] At one previous point the airline had its head office in the Telcom House.[52]

Destinations

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As of November 2023, the airline serves 21 countries on 36 routes.[3][53]

RwandAir serves the following destinations as of May 2023:[54][55]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Belgium Brussels Brussels Airport [56][57]
Benin Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport Hub [1]
Burundi Bujumbura Bujumbura International Airport
Cameroon Douala Douala International Airport
China Guangzhou Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Terminated [58][59]
Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa N'djili Airport
Ethiopia Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Bole International Airport [60]
France Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport [61]
Gabon Libreville Léon-Mba International Airport
Ghana Accra Kotoka International Airport
Guinea Conakry Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport
India Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Terminated [62]
Israel Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport Suspended [63][64]
Ivory Coast Abidjan Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport
Kenya Mombasa Moi International Airport
Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Mali Bamako Bamako–Sénou International Airport
Nigeria Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Qatar Doha Hamad International Airport [65]
Republic of the Congo Brazzaville Maya-Maya Airport
Rwanda Bugesera Bugesera International Airport
Cyangugu Kamembe Airport
Kigali Kigali International Airport Hub
Senegal Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport
Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport Terminated
South Africa Cape Town Cape Town International Airport
Johannesburg O. R. Tambo International Airport
South Sudan Juba Juba International Airport
Tanzania Dar es Salaam Julius Nyerere International Airport
Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro International Airport
Uganda Entebbe Entebbe International Airport
United Arab Emirates Dubai Dubai International Airport
United Kingdom London Gatwick Airport Terminated [citation needed]
Heathrow Airport [citation needed]
Zambia Lusaka Kenneth Kaunda International Airport
Zimbabwe Harare Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport

Codeshare agreements

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RwandAir codeshares with the following airlines:

Fleet

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A RwandAir Airbus A330-200

The RwandAir fleet comprises the following aircraft as of July 2023:[71][72]

RwandAir fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
B E+ E Total
Airbus A330-200 2 — 20 21 203 244
Airbus A330-300 1 — 30 21 223 274
Boeing 737-700[73] 1 — 12 – 108 120
Boeing 737-800 6 — 16 – 138 154
Bombardier CRJ900ER 2 — 7 – 68 75
De Havilland Dash 8-400 2 — 7 – 60 67 [74]
Cargo fleet
Boeing 737-800BCF 1 1 Cargo [75]
Total 15 1

Historical fleet

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Since its founding in 2002, RwandAir has operated the following aircraft:[76]

RwandAir historical fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Boeing 737-500 1 2003 2004 Leased from Maersk Air
3 2007 2013
Bombardier CRJ-200LR 3 2009 2012
De Havilland DHC-8-100 1 2010 2014
De Havilland DHC-8-200 2 2004 2009
McDonnell Douglas MD-82 3 2004 2007

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Liu, Jim (11 September 2017). "Rwandair opens Cotonou hub in late-August 2017". Manchester, United Kingdom: Routesonline.com. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  2. ^ "RwandAir picks Accra as hub for flights to US". 22 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "RwandAir on ch-aviation". ch-aviation. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b Mwai, Collins (9 November 2017). "RwandAir gets new board chair". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b Abdur Rahman and Alfa Shaban (8 April 2018). "Yvonne Makolo: Kagame appoints female CEO for national carrier, RwandAir". Brazzaville: Africanews.com. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  6. ^ "AirlinePros Now Supporting RwandAir as GSA in Singapore". AirlinePros. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  7. ^ CAPA Centre for Aviation (21 December 2014). "RwandAir plans further regional expansion in 2015 and launch of long-haul services in 2017". Sydney, Australia: CAPA Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  8. ^ Yates, Chris (1997). "Alliance spreads into Central Africa" (Archived from the Original). Flightglobal.com Archiving Air Transport Magazine. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  9. ^ Peterson Tumwebaze (11 November 2016). "RwandAir gets safety certification for its ground operations". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  10. ^ Peterson Tumwebaze (25 August 2014). "RwandAir changing country's aviation industry through enhanced aviation skills". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  11. ^ Peterson Tumwebaze (29 October 2010). "Mirenge new CEO of RwandaAir". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  12. ^ Peterson Tumwebaze (23 August 2010). "Another RwandAir Boeing arrives". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  13. ^ Peterson Tumwebaze (28 August 2011). "RwandAir's new Boeing 737-800NB plane lands". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  14. ^ Flightcommagazine.com (3 May 2017). "RwandAir: Daring to dream". Flightcommagazine.com. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  15. ^ Business Reporter (13 February 2013). "RwandAir eyes Harare route". NewsDay Quoting Bloomberg News. Harare. Retrieved 26 January 2016. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  16. ^ Bateta, Agnes (24 January 2016). "Global umbrella gives RwandAir kudos". East African Business Week. Kampala. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  17. ^ Casey, David (3 August 2017). "RwandAir launches Cotonou hub as Benin and Rwanda plan new airline". Manchester, United Kingdom: Routesonline.com. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
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  20. ^ "Qatar Airways in Talks to Buy 49% RwandAir Stake, Interested in Increasing LATAM Investment". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  21. ^ "RwandAir Flight Pass". RwandAir Flight Pass. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  22. ^ The New Times (25 December 2019). "The New Times". Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  23. ^ "RWANDAIR WILL JOIN ONEWORLD ALLIANCE". Live and let's Fly. 15 September 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d e "APPLICATION OF RWANDAIR LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY FOR AMENDINGFOREIGN AIR CARRIER PERMIT". US Department of Transport. 2021.
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  27. ^ "Kigali in final talks with Qatar over RwandAir equity". ch-Aviation. 22 March 2021.
  28. ^ RNA Reporter (4 September 2010). "RwandAir to be sold after becoming profitable – Finance Minister". Kigali: Rwanda News Agency (RNA). Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  29. ^ a b c d e Ivan Mugisha (24 January 2013). "RwandAir could be privatised in 2015 as Umubano deal drags on". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  30. ^ Ministry of Finance And Economic Planning (Minecofin) (September 2010). "Ministry of Finance And Economic Planning: Budget Execution Report For The Fiscal Year 2009/10" (PDF). Kigali. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  31. ^ Ministry of Finance And Economic Planning (Minecofin) (October 2011). "Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning: Budget Execution Report For The Fiscal Year 2010/11" (PDF). Kigali. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  32. ^ Jenny Clover (5 November 2012). "RwandAir expands fleet as competition hots up". The Kenya Standard. Nairobi. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  33. ^ Kabona, Esiara (12 April 2013). "RwandAir targets $350 million sales by 2018". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  34. ^ Ministry of Finance And Economic Planning (Minecofin) (14 June 2012). "Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning: Budget Speech for the Financial Year 2012/13" (PDF). Kigali. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  35. ^ Ministry of Finance And Economic Planning (Minecofin) (September 2013). "Ministry of Finance And Economic Planning: Budget Execution Report For The Financial Year 2012/2013" (PDF). Kigali. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
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  41. ^ Himbara, David (16 May 2018). "Kagame's RwandAir Lost US$54.8 Million In 2016". Medium.com. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
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  43. ^ "AFRAA Annual Report 2017" (PDF). AFRAA. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
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  45. ^ "AFRAA Annual Report 2019". airliners.net forum. 12 February 2019.
  46. ^ "Rwandair growth: Ministry of Finance subsidies" (PDF). AFRAA. 2019.
  47. ^ "BUDGET EXECUTION REPORT JULY 2019 - JUNE 2020" (PDF). MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING. August 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  48. ^ "Rwandair growth 2019" (PDF). AFRAA. 2020.
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  50. ^ a b "Announcement on RwandAir Head Office shift from Centenary House to new airport office." RwandAir. Retrieved on 16 June 2010.
  51. ^ Flight International 12–18 April 2005
  52. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 30 March - 5 April 2004. 61. "Telcom House, Boulevard delumuganda, Kigli, Kacyiru"
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  56. ^ Jim Liu (28 June 2017). "Rwandair schedules Brussels mid-July 2017 debut". Routesonline.com. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  57. ^ "RwandAir to Resume Service to London and Brussels". businesstravelnews.com. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
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  59. ^ "Coronavirus live updates". New York Times. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  60. ^ "Rwandair adds Addis Ababa service from April 2019". routesonline.com. 4 January 2019.
  61. ^ "Rwandair Schedules late-June 2023 Paris Launch". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  62. ^ "Rwandair discontinues Mumbai service from mid-March 2024". AeroRoutes. 5 March 2024.
  63. ^ "Rwandair schedules Tel Aviv launch in June 2019". RoutesOnline. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  64. ^ "COVID-19 (Corona Virus) Updates and Travel Guidelines to Our Network". Rwandair. 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  65. ^ "Hamad International Airport welcomes RwandAir's direct flights from Kigali to Doha". Hamad International Airport. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  66. ^ Peterson Tumwebaze (17 April 2009). "Rwandair in code sharing agreement with Brussels Airlines". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  67. ^ Tumwebaze, Peterson (8 September 2009). "Rwandair strikes code share deal with Ethiopian Airlines". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali.
  68. ^ "Code-share partners". qatarairways.com. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
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  70. ^ "FlyWestair | Book Our Flights Online & Save | Low-Fares, Offers & More".
  71. ^ CAPA Centre for Aviation (3 November 2015). "RwandAir Fleet Summary: as at 26 October 2015". Sydney, Australia: CAPA Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  72. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2017 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2017): 30.
  73. ^ African Manager (18 April 2013). "RwandAir Express acquires new Boeing 737-700". Tunis: Africanmanager.com. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  74. ^ Bombardier (27 February 2014). "Bombardier Delivers Dual-Class Q400 NextGen Airliner to RwandAir". Toronto: Bombardier Aerospace. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  75. ^ "RwandAir to add a B737-800 P2F freighter". Ch-Aviation. 21 November 2022.
  76. ^ "RwandAir Fleet". planespotters.net. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
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