News

RwandAir Buoyant as it Plans to Add Three New Routes Next Year

The country’s national carrier that recently registered steadfast growth both in its passengers, fleet and destinations, looks at 2015 to post a positive outlook as it plans to open 3 new destinations.

The new destinations will bring more countries in the SADC bloc as well as West Africa, something that will   harness RwandAir’s   flight presence on the continent as it strives to   link Rwanda to   other markets.

Accordingly, the three routes for next year will   include Abidjan in Ivory Coast, Lusaka in Zambia and Harare in Zimbabwe.

Due to  Bilateral agreements the government of Rwanda  recently  penned  with  several countries on the continent and also  the regional  trading  blocs such as COMESA, EAC  has  opened the Rwanda market  to the blocs, thus a need  for  Air transport to facilitate  businesses.

This  translates into  more   people  willing to  fly  the skies to and  from  Rwanda to  the  rest fo the continent.

Thus, it  means,  as John Mirenge, RwandAir Chief Executive Officer  says  need  opening  more  destinations to  help  the private sector  ease  business across the skies thus  contributing to Rwanda’s economic growth.

For Example,  recent  growth in the passengers  flying within the region-East Africa and the West Africa  projects a  positive  outlook  in  terms of passenger numbers  and cargo  volumes for the  Airline.

“With our new operations to Mwanza, we are delighted to further strengthen our regional co-operation with the Republic of Tanzania,” said Mirenge

According to the Airline, the   passenger numbers increased 100,000 more as compared to last year, bringing more optimism that the new destinations will   add to the revenue receipts for the Airline.

The Airline is estimating its passenger numbers to   grow to over half a million passengers at the end of this year.

The growth in destinations and   passenger numbers has also   increased the airline’s fleet with acquisition of One Bombardier Q-400 NextGen early 2014 bring the total fleet to 7 birds.

Moreover,  the airline  plans to  acquire another Bombardier Q-400 NextGen and by 2016 to  have  Dreamliner as it plans to  open  its   fleet to the skies of Asia and Europe, thanks to the recent accreditation  by the  International  Air Transport  Association-IATA.

The green light from the Association means that the Airline now fulfills the   safety, control other   requirements to enable it fly anywhere in the world, something that also increases consumer confidence.

 Giving back to its Customers

Nevertheless, to  add to  the accreditation, the Airline also   introduced the  ‘Dream Miles’ programme, where it rewards  its ro6yal  customers with  more  miles and has registered 13,000 passengers over the past three years.

The campaign that encourages people to fly more with RwandAir has four categories named as gold, diamond, silver and emerald.

According to Dorah Kirezi, the Dream Miles project co-coordinator, passengers who click above 100,000 miles    for a year period are entitled for diamond with 100 per cent stage activity bonus.

Bugesera Airport to Improve Rwanda Aviation Industry

Dozens of households in Bugesera District in the eastern province of Rwanda are yet to be expropriated to pave way for the construction of the Bugesera International Airport, which will be the second in the country.

Bugesera Airport will be located in southeastern Rwanda, in Bugesera District, near the town of Nyamata. This location is approximately 24 kilometres and will be situated at an altitude of 1,400 metres

With a plan of borrowing bonds amounting funds, the Government of Rwanda believes that this is a viable project that needs a little bit of financial muscle to implement.

The estimated $650 million worth Bugesera International Airport had initially been scheduled for completion in 2016 but construction is yet to begin. However, expropriation of land where the airport will be located is ongoing.

Recently, the government announced a $1 billion bond that will be used for the construction of the airport and finance key energy infrastructures.

The proposed airport in Bugesera is expected to handle more than three million passengers a year by 2030, with at least 450 serviced in an hour.

It is meant to decongest Kigali International Airport (KIA) in Kigali City, which is operating beyond its capacity of 300,000 passengers a year but is currently also undergoing major expansion and rehabilitation to accommodate a capacity of 1.5 million passengers per year, which is triple the current capacity.

The location Bugesera airport, about 30 minutes’ drive from Kigali, is anticipated to be of additional value to the ambitions of Kigali’s goal to become a regional conference and tourism hub, passengers, many of them in transit, would require spacious lounges and holding areas.

Rwandan governments is considering contracting the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) for the construction of the project, while the British accounting firm Pricewaterhousecoopers, has been retained to oversee the financing of the new airport.

With the anticipated coming of Bugesera airport Rwanda will now be in position to handle more airline services in addition to the already existing flyers in the country.

Rwanda has also been of interest to many foreign airlines with new entrants like Turkish airlines, Qatar and FlyDubai- the latest of all, entering the market in the last two year.

Bugesera International Airport will become Rwanda’s largest International Airport, serving commercial flights destined to and from the greater Kigali metropolitan area. The airport has been anxiously awaited by Rwanda’s aviation fraternity, in particular RwandAir, whose expansion drive depends largely on the new airport coming in a few years’ time.

In terms of regional competitiveness, Rwanda will also be joining other East African countries seeking to upgrade their airline infrastructure to rival Africa’s key hubs like Ethiopia and South Africa.

East African governments strapped for cash, they are likely to increase airport fees as they look for financing, a factor that would reduce the competitiveness of regional carriers by hiking their fares.

IATA Delegation Coming to Rwanda

A delegation from The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will be in Kigali to formally present RwandAir with their IOSA Certificate, which catapulted the airline into the global elite of safety audited airlines, guests from near and far will see a lot more than just the airline’s headquarters and operations. They will also see the “new” Kigali International Airport.

The Rwandan government has identified aviation as a key to economic success, being a landlocked country twice removed from the nearest deep sea ocean port of Mombasa, through which most of the imports and exports are routed.

Tourism is the biggest foreign exchange earner and has been for several years, outpacing agriculture, the mining and the service industry, as Rwanda has also established itself as a regional ICT hub.

RwandAir, has over the past three years progressively expanded operations, destinations and the fleet, now operating two B737-800NG SkyInterior, two B737-700NGs, two Bombardier CRJ900 NextGens and one Bombardier Q400 NextGen, as it continues to enlarge its destinations circle.

With more airlines now flying to Kigali than ever before, the latest entrant being flydubai the growth of RwandAir itself has made larger spaces inevitable as it currently goes to a total of 16 destinations.

Two more aircraft are expected to join the fleet in 2015 and 2016, adding yet more growth, and the government took early steps to avoid the perennial congestion Nairobi suffered for several years before the new Terminal 1A was opened a few months ago, or Entebbe where the airport has reached its limits.

Aviation, like everything else in Rwanda, follows a master plan, which while tweaked and adjusted as need arises has brought about a holistic approach, where the national airline and the main airport are backed and financed for expansion side by side, allowing for a success story to be written and a new feather put in to the national cap when IATA hands over the IOSA Certificate on December 10.

“Good governance, good discipline, and good fortunes, all coming together to make this happen, as the land of a lot more than just a thousand Hillscontinues to shine as an African success story, one that not only includes aviation but has it as a centerpiece of future development,” Says a statement from IATA.

RwandAir Now Flying Directly to Brussels

Successful code share agreement signed between RwandAir and Brussels Airlines.
In a move poised to bring greater convenience and connectivity to their customers, RwandAir the national carrier has signed a code share agreement with Brussels Airlines on flights between Kigali and Brussels. This in effect means that the national airline will now sell tickets directly on flights to the European city of Brussels. The flight in turn will be operated by the Belgian carrier. This way, RwandAir perfectly penetrates the Belgian market and Brussels Airlines reinforces its position on the African market.

The deal which was successfully concluded after fruitful negotiations between both airlines has been in effect since Tuesday 31 March, 2009. For RwandAir, this code share agreement presents a much needed penetration into the European market. This agreement does not only mean a direct connection between Brussels and Kigali, but it also offers numerous possibilities for connections to other African and European destinations through Kigali or Brussels.

The new partnership between the airlines comes at a time when the global aviation industry is under tremendous pressure to remain competitive amid recessions and economic crisis witnessed on the international scene. As an emerging fast growing economy in East Africa, Rwanda stands to benefit from this agreement due to greater accessibility to Europe and the opening up of a direct link to the heart of Africa.

The commercial deal between RwandAir and Brussels Airlines enables the national carrier to sell 10 seats in economy class as a marketing carrier on all 3 weekly flights between Kigali and Brussels, operated by Brussels Airlines. This offers RwandAir clients the flexibility of booking online or buying tickets through any of the Rwandair offices in Eastern or Southern Africa and fly out to Brussels direct from Kigali on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This agreement also reinforces the presence of Brussels Airlines on the Rwandan market.

RwandAir is actively going through internal and structural changes geared towards offering elevated customer service and safety in its operations. The airline is looking forward to more such alliances that will ensure greater access to worldwide destinations for its long haul journeys.

Delegates from Germany pay visit to Rwanda

On Monday 10^th.Feb.2013, delegates from Rhenanie –Palatinat Province in Germany paid a visit the house of former king of Rwanda Mutara III Rudahigwa as a way of finding out the real life experiences of the former Rwandan king and the culture that existed then.

Different parts of the former king’s house were visited including the king’s bedroom chambers and where he would eat. After visiting different parts of the former king’s palace locally known as Rukali, the of Rhenanie –Palatinat Province delegates to Rwanda were happy for the visit and got to know about Rwandan history since most of them were in Rwanda for the first time.

Reiner Meutsch who led the team of representatives signed in the visitors’ book expressing the excitement they got from the visit they made to the former King’s palace (Rukali) and learning great history from this place.

“We’re glad for this visit and the warm welcome accorded to us by Rwandans” he wrote.

The delegates of Rhenanie –Palatinat Province in Germany came to Rwanda on the 9^th.Feb.2013 while visiting different regions of Rwanda evaluating different programs and projects including schools that were built on the partnership of Germany and Rwanda.

US lifts Travel Restrictions on Americans in Rwanda

Travel to northern parts of Rwanda and the Volcanoes National Park for gorillas “is no longer restricted” for Americans, the US Embassy in Kigali has announced in a message to American nationals.

The embassy late last month released a travel advisory urging Americans to avoid non-essential travel to areas bordering DRC – mainly Rubavu. The US embassy had wanted Americans to stay away from those areas following two negligible attacks by Rwandan FDLR rebels on Rwandan soil.

But in a December 06 statement, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) dismissed the concerns. “We would like to reassure visitors that it is business as usual at all our tourism destinations,” said Clare Akamanzi, acting CEO of RDB, in the statement.

Now, in a new development, the US Embassy says all is fine for its nationals to travel to any part of the country.

“The U.S. Embassy alerts U.S. citizens that travel by official U.S. citizen personnel to the Rubavu district, Volcanoes National Park, the town of Kinigi, or the area to the north and west of Kinigi that abuts Volcanoes National park is no longer restricted,” said the Embassy in a December 10 advisory.

“U.S. citizens are no longer advised to avoid the aforementioned areas.  There are currently no daytime travel restrictions in place for official U.S. citizens within Rwanda.”

Despite the conflict in eastern DRC that does not seem to go away for years, tourists have flocked to Rwanda year-in-year-out. The country received more than 680,000 visitors last year. A much bigger number is expected to be recorded by end of this year.

Rwanda : Tourists speak out on Gallup research findings

Tourists in Rwanda also confirmed that their stay in Kigali city and the countryside is mainly marked with a sense of safety and feeling welcomed in the community despite the cultural differences.

“everywhere you go, you find there are security personnel and one of the biggest experiences of safety was one our truck had mechanical problems- the police and residents were there to help” one Mark O’Connell says, “even while walking on the streets of Kigali, I have never had a thought that someone would rob me, unlike in other cities in Africa.

A research report codenamed “‘Global States of Mind’ released by Gallup on October 31, 2012, indicated that Rwanda ranked top of the list of African countries where citizens are least likely to feel safe according to a research report conducted and

Rwanda scored 92percent followed by Georgia 91percent, and Qatar 91percent, while in Africa Niger was the second ranked country at 84 per cent

Responding to the outcomes of the Director General of Rwanda Governance Board, Prof. Anastase Shyaka, on December 4, 2012, expressed satisfaction that the governance approach the country has chosen to apply is working for its people, as reported in the influential Gallup’s World Poll of 2012.

Prof. Shyaka said Rwanda would continue to build on the successes mentioned above in the effort to take good governance to even higher levels.

The research also highlighted issues of widespread corruption in government indicators, in which Rwanda ranked as the second, scoring 12percent, next to Singapore which scores 5percent, in terms of least widespread of corruption.

Rubavu: Hoteliers Encourage Advertising to Promote Tourism

In a meeting that took place on 26/10/2012, the Rwanda association or hotels, bars, restaurants and lodges in the district of Rubavu advised the people to always show things that they do to develop tourism.

The district of Rubavu is one district with many hotels and lodges but these hotels and lodges are not known because the owners do nothing to advertise them. This becomes a problem to tourists since they will not know where they are going yet there are people to receive them.

Apart from the big hotels, with well-known names, other hotels that do not advertise themselves get few people, and this is because they do less in promoting themselves.

The president of the association of the owners of hotels, bars, restaurants, and lodges, Denis Karera said that “working together as an association is very good and since one person with many people can be able to refer others to someone else because of the good working conditions”.

Karera added on saying that “advertising their work is good since it helps them get known by people yet this is done by few of them. He added on saying that “this together with good service delivery will help them get their customers that visited back. Good service delivery is one thing that is being emphasized by this association in this district”.

  The district of Rubavu has a lot of tourist attraction apart from Lake Kivu, and the Congo border, since people with hotels, bars, restaurants, and lodges have other different things they do that promote tourism as said by Beniot Munyakindi an employee of RDB in Rubavu district were they have the mountain of Rubavu that is being prepared for tourism activities and also the one of Nengo that has the history of the world war 2.

Rwanda : Gazella Safaris in the move to emphasize tourism

A tourism company, ‘Gazella Safaris’ has embarked on emphasizing tourism in Rwandan society especially youth starting in Bugesera district and proceeding to other parts of Rwanda.

Marie Claire Ingabire, Director of Gazella Safaris asserts that tourism is all about relaxation and pleasure but many Rwandans never spare time to eye their country’s treasures.

“It’s not having money that makes whites tour our land, but because they understand the importance of travelling and touring. Even those without a lot of money spend time saving to visit countries tourist attractions,” she narrates.

Ingabire reveals that they have introduced the program to the four schools in Bugesera district that is Nyamata High school, ETO Nyamata, GS Catholique and GS EPR.

“We formed “tumenye ubukerarugendo” clubs, which are responsible for sensitizing other students on the importance of tourism,” she adds.

Assistant Director of Gazella Safaris, Augustin Mudahunga says that Rwandans are not much into tourism just because they do not understand how and what to tour.

“We have different bird species and a lot of lakes in Bugesera district, why is it that Rwandans do not appreciate nature when it’s not expensive?” he wonders

It’s for this matter that Gazella Safaris has embarked on sensitizing all people the advantages of tourism and to start from the attractions available in their areas of residence, Mudahunga points out.

He adds that ever since sensitization began in four schools, students have toured Kigali city before the end of the term.

Gazella Safaris is supported by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) in “Domestic Campaign” program, which aims at promoting tourism among Rwandese starting from Rwanda.

Rwanda Among African Countries with potential for Tourism Growth

A Research firm – Euromonitor International has identified some African countries that are likely to see strong growth in tourism, and could possibly be lucrative destinations for investors in the tourism industry.

These countries are Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. According to Euromonitor, Rwanda is emerging as a well-known destination on the world tourism map recording a 3% increase of inbound tourists in 2011 to reach 723,000.

In 2011, the majority of tourist arrivals came from other African countries. Arrivals from the African continent were led by the Democratic Republic of Congo(16.5%), followed by Uganda (13.5%) and Tanzania (7.4%). Rwanda’s core overseas markets include the US (3.6%), Belgium (2%) and the UK (1.5%).

According to Euromonitor, Rwanda is also ready to implement the East African Community single tourist visa, which will allow tourists to travel freely across the region.

Tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner with $251 million earned in 2011. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has revealed that for the first semester of 2012, Tourism revenues have increased by 11% compared to the same period last year in 2011. The tourism sector is estimated to have generated US $128.3m compared to US$115.6m generated in the same period last year.

One of the country’s most popular attractions is its mountain gorillas – which has attracted many tourists in the country and RDB has promoted the activity through the annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony (commonly known as Kwita Izina).

Rwanda is, however, trying to diversify its tourism offering, for example through the 150 metre high canopy walkway, the Congo Nile Trail and bird watching routes.