The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) > Africa Aviation
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Capacity Building Workshop on the Yamoussoukro Decision Institutional and Regulatory Texts for African Airlines, 29th to 30th September 2021

The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), is organizing a Capacity Building Workshop on dissemination of the Yamoussoukro Decision Regulatory texts dedicated to African Airlines. The Workshop, which will be in virtual format on Zoom platform and hosted by AFRAA Secretariat from 29th  to 30th  September 2021, is in response to the Decision establishing the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), a critical AU Agenda 2063 flagship project [Assembly/AU/Dec.665 (XXX)]. The Decision requests the AUC to undertake Capacity Building of Member States, RECs, and other key aviation stakeholders on the application of Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) institutional and regulatory Texts.

The YD instruments which also constitute the regulatory framework of the SAATM, are: (i) Powers and Functions of the Executing Agency (EA), (ii) Competition Regulations, (iii) Consumer protection Regulations, and (iv) Dispute Settlement Mechanism, which is currently at advanced stage of elaboration. The workshop is open to all African Airlines including those which are not yet members of AFRAA in order to ensure wider dissemination on YD regulatory texts and the benefits of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).

In view of the aforesaid, we would like to kindly invite you to nominate two experts involved in the implementation of air transport regulations and confirm their participation in the workshop by registering at your earliest convenience through this link:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LOMwwU0MSMGpKglZiSN8nA

Concept Note
The 30th Ordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly of Heads of States and Government summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2018 adopted the Institutional and Regulatory Instruments of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD). The adopted Texts being the Powers and Functions of the Executing Agency (EA), Competition Rules and Consumer Protection Regulations. The Dispute Settlement Mechanism is under further elaboration.

Download the full concept note here: Concept Note

Agenda
The proposed agenda can be downloaded from think link: Proposed Agenda

For more information or further assistance, please contact Mr. Blaise Muyanda (bmuyanda@afraa.org)

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Beyond the crisis: Leveraging Airline Consolidation for Air Transport Industry Sustainability

15 September 2021

Air transport plays a fundamental role in Africa’s socio-economic development. The sector is a catalyst for promoting tourism and fostering trade and regional development. However, Africa represents less than 3% of global air traffic and over the past 15 years, the continent has had the lowest level of market consolidation compared to the other regions in the globe.

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Lufthansa Consulting and Kenya Airways staged a high level workshop on 14th September 2021 on African airlines consolidation to discuss the reasons for few partnerships and limited airline consolidation, the challenges and benefits of consolidation and measures for action by industry stakeholders to address the situation.

Mr Abdérahmane Berthé – AFRAA Secretary General, in his remarks stated: “The aviation sector is reeling from the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic. We need to devise new approaches of doing business in the face of increasing concerns on the sustainability of African Airlines. A crucial element in the success of the African airlines is consolidation and collaboration. The engagement of States, airlines and all the relevant stakeholders is necessary to effectively achieve the required outcomes on airline consolidation in Africa.”

Speaking during the workshop, Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka said: ”It is crucial to retrace and learn from the footprints of consolidation from different parts of the world as we reset Africa’s aviation towards our collective dream for flying to a better future. Consolidation and collaboration are essential ingredients for resilience and sustainable business operations of airlines.  The ripple effect of strengthened collaboration amongst airlines will be an increase in the industry’s contribution to the sustainable development of Africa and therefore we must elevate the tenor of discourse and make the airline industry matter in and for Africa”.

Ms. Catrin Drawer – Head of Market Africa, Lufthansa Consulting stated: “We require to meet the challenges of the “New Normal”, a reset in our thinking and approach. We require new business models, meaningful innovations in operations, adaptive management open to change, a growing true synergistic relationship between airlines and other relevant stakeholders. New challenges need new solutions now and in future to bring both resilience, and sustained success. Thus, synergy and meaningful partnering, whether through existing contracts and alliances or new agreements, will be essential. We cannot bring back yesterday but we may together shape the future.“

Lufthansa consulting experts provided an in-depth analysis and background of consolidation of airlines from a global to an African perspective. The impacts of consolidation for African airlines, passengers, cargo, air transport growth and connectivity were discussed. Case studies were presented at C-level by Kenya Airways, Air Afrique and Ethiopian Airlines to enrich the discussions with first-hand experiences on the challenges, benefits of consolidation as well as the lessons learnt.

Industry recommendations

The forum articulated the following recommendations for action by the industry:

  1. Consideration of various models of consolidation including equity partnerships between two airlines or across a group of investments, cooperation between two or more well-matched airlines, or the formation of a new common airline. The concept of “Air Afrique” remains a valid consideration for Africa.
  2. Implementation of appropriate corporate governance structure is necessary for consolidation. Political interference in the airline management is to be avoided.
  • Call to Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to finance the feasibility study of consolidation models.
  1. Call for uniform implementation of harmonized regulations and the establishment of an enabling working relationship between regulators, airlines and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).
  2. Enhancement of cooperation among African airlines (alliance of airlines, pooling resources, code sharing and interlining).
  3. Call for support and commitment from Governments for airline consolidation in Africa.
  • Urge airlines to carry out careful evaluation of potential consolidation/partnerships based on factual data.
  • Exploration of cargo opportunities for air cargo consolidation.
  1. Call for government and private sector collaboration to achieve concrete steps in airline consolidation.
  2. “Walk the Talk” – translate ongoing discussions into action in the interest of delivering accelerated benefits to the aviation ecosystem

The important workshop brought together over 200 participants comprising airline CEOs, C-level representatives from airports, CAAs and other African air transport decision makers as well as the media.

The full recording of the Workshop can be viewed here below:

http://https://youtu.be/FMuFvGiIemo

To download the PowerPoint presentation, please do so through this link: Final Presentation

About AFRAA

The African Airlines Association, also known by its acronym AFRAA, is a trade association of airlines from the member states of the African Union (AU). Founded in Accra, Ghana, in April 1968, and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, AFRAA’s mission is to promote, serve African Airlines and champion Africa’s aviation industry. The Association envisions a sustainable, interconnected and affordable Air Transport industry in Africa where African Airlines become key players and drivers to African economic development.

AFRAA membership of 46 airlines cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

  About Lufthansa Consulting                

Comprehensive advisory services – Aviation is our business

Lufthansa Consulting is an aviation and management consulting company, which is dedicated to assist international clients from the aviation sector and related industries to meet the challenges of the future successfully. Since 1988 the company has provided services and solutions to the air transportation industry in more than 3500 projects worldwide and is an independent subsidiary of the Lufthansa Aviation Group (Deutsche Lufthansa AG).

Lufthansa Consulting is in the unique position of offering comprehensive consultancy and expertise to aviation specific client groups: air carriers, airport authorities, civil aviation authorities, governments, investors, financial institutions, manufacturers, other industries and service related entities. We know the aviation business and we take pride in implementing our solutions.

 Visit our website, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter and listen to our podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcast and Amazon Music

About Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways, a member of the Sky Team Alliance, is a leading African airline flying to 41 destinations worldwide, 34 of which are in Africa and carries over four million passengers annually. In 2020 KQ was named Africa’s Leading Airline by the World Travel Awards. It continues to modernize its fleet with its 32 aircraft being some of the youngest in Africa. This includes its flagship B787 Dreamliner aircraft. Kenya Airways services cargo flights including London, Amsterdam, Guangzhou, Sharjah, Mumbai and over 25 intra-Africa routes in addition to its passenger network. The on-board service is renowned and the lie-flat business class seat on the wide-body aircraft is consistently voted among the world’s top 10. Kenya Airways takes pride in being at the forefront of connecting Africa to the World and the World to Africa through its hub at the new ultra-modern Terminal 1A at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

For more information visit www.kenya-airways.com

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Rwandair adds Two New Routes in DRC to its Network

Kigali, 13 September, 2021 RwandAir continues its recovery from the pandemic by adding additional routes to the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( from September. As of September 29, the Rwandan flag carrier is to launch new twice weekly services to both Lubumbashi, the DRC’s mining capital, and Goma capital of North Kivu province, on the shore of Lake Kivu on 15 October 2021.

Customers will be able to book directly through rwandair.com and fly on the airline’s regional Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft, which offers seating in both Economy and Business Class, with a De Havilland Dash 8 also operating to Goma.

Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said “RwandAir ’s new twice weekly services to Lubumbashi and Goma will add more choice and flexibility for customers flying to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We believe these new routes will be extremely popular with RwandAir customers and increase
both diplomatic and commercial links between the DRC and Rwanda.

“RwandAir is always looking for new markets to propel the airline’s network and enhance the
choice o f destinations and routes, not only across sub Saharan Africa, but also to longer haul
destinations.

“We hope to announce further new routes in due course to ensure we meet the demands of our
customers and continue to provide top flight destinations.”

RwandAir ’s first destination in DRC was Kinshasa in April 2019, with these two new services
tripling available capacity to the country.

Services to Lubumbashi will depart Kigali every Monday and Wednesday, as WB264 at 10:10 am arrives at 12:10 pm. The returning WB265, departs Lubumbashi at 5:00 pm, arriving back into Kigali at 7:00 pm.

Flights to Goma will also depart Kigali every Monday and Wednesday, as WB266 at 12:40 pm arrives at 1:20 pm. The returning WB267, departs Goma at 1:50 pm, arriving back into Kigali at 2:30 pm.

Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and represents the main industrial center for the mining district of southeastern Congo.

It acts as a hub for high volumes of the country’s largest mining companies, making it a hot spot for business travelers and is also home of the famous Simba Brewery, where the world renowned Tembo beer is produced.

Goma lies a few miles south of the active Nyiragongo Volcano, close to the border with Rwanda, on the shore of Lake Kivu, the largest lava in the world. The city is a great gateway to nearby wildlife, including Virunga National Park.

Book your flight now via rwandair.com

END

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Media Release: African airlines’ performance updates by AFRAA – August 2021

In the month of August 2021, air passenger traffic reached 46.8% compared to same month in 2019 while capacity was at 54.6%.

Domestic markets across Africa recorded a slight reduction in passenger demand although still outperforming intra-Africa and intercontinental traffic. Domestic traffic for the month under review was 58.9% compared to 22.7% for intra-Africa and 18.4% for intercontinental. On passenger capacity (seats offered), domestic, intra-Africa and intercontinental accounted for 46.5%, 26.8% and 26.7% respectively.

Globally, the COVID 19 cases continue to rise despite the fact that 24.6% of the world’s population has been vaccinated. In Africa, just about 1.85% of the population has been fully vaccinated according to data available on the Africa CDC website. The Delta variant which is the source of recent infections is not sparing younger people either. The result is an increase in the number of younger people and children infected by the COV2 virus. In Africa, the number of deaths continues to rise while vaccination is progressing at a snail pace, thus causing concerns among the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors on recovery. Worldwide, the numbers of infected cases reached 200 million of which 7 million are in Africa. The global recovery rate stands at 97.7% compared to 97.3% in Africa.

Re-start of operations on intercontinental routes by African airlines reached 77.8% in August 2021, though frequency and capacity remained constrained. This represents a month-on-month increase in intercontinental operations of 3.1%. Airlines which added new intercontinental routes to their operations in August include: Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc and Kenya Airways. It is worth noting that, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Royal air Maroc and RwandAir now operate to about 90% of their pre-COVID intercontinental destinations.

As previously reported, Mauritius remains the most impacted intra-Africa air travel destination in spite of the resumption of international flights in July. Abidjan and Dakar airports slightly exceeded their pre-COVID level of flights connectivity with other cities. Passenger arrivals and departures however remain depressed for both airports.

General passenger traffic continues to be low across Africa due to the ravaging impact of COVID-19, inconsistencies in the messaging regarding border closures and failure to align health protocols in some countries and across regions.

Full year revenue loss for African airlines in 2021 according to AFRAA is forecast at US$8.2b, approximately 47.2% of the full year 2019 airlines’ revenue. In 2020, African airlines made a cumulative loss of $10.21b, representing 58.8% of 2019 revenues. The poor revenue performance coupled with slow response to calls for support to African aviation and tourism sectors by governments and DFIs is a major threat to the survival of the African aviation industry. Governments should heed the calls by the African Union, AFCAC, AFRAA and other organizations to provide financial relief and support to the industry players most impacted by Covid-19 to avoid the collapse of the aviation industry.

Other related industry developments:

  • Victoria Falls and Kazungula (linking Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and to a lesser extent Namibia) border posts were opened for fully vaccinated tourists in a move aimed at reviving the tourism sector.
  • The United Arab Emirates National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) announced lifting of the transit flight ban imposed by UAE in some countries including India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uganda, effective 05 August 2021.
  • On 28 July, the UK Government announced latest policy review of its “traffic light” system stating that effective 02 August 2021, arrivals to the UK with a DCC (EU digital COVID certificate) or a US Vaccine Certificate (paper) can enter the United Kingdom without quarantine.

 About AFRAA

The African Airlines Association, also known by its acronym AFRAA, is a trade association of airlines from the member states of the African Union (AU). Founded in Accra, Ghana, in April 1968, and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, AFRAA’s mission is to promote, serve African Airlines and champion Africa’s aviation industry. The Association envisions a sustainable, interconnected and affordable Air Transport industry in Africa where African Airlines become key players and drivers to African economic development.

AFRAA membership of 46 airlines cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

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Media Release: African airlines’ performance updates by AFRAA – July 2021

Release Date: 9th August

The African continent continues to witness a significant increase in number of Covid 19 cases.  The situation seems to be getting out of control especially in South Africa where daily infection has now exceeded 15,000 cases. Some African governments are resorting to lockdowns again as a way to curb the surging COV2 infections and deaths. Europe is also not out of the woods yet, despite the fact that 50% of the adult population has been vaccinated.

The Delta variant is indeed a threat to the safe and smooth reopening of borders. Globally the number of infected cases reached 190 million out of which 6 million are in Africa. The global recovery rate stands at 97.6% as against 97.1% for Africa.

In the month of July 2021, air passenger traffic is estimated to have reached 42.9% compared to same month in 2019. Similarly, capacity reached 53.7% as of July 2021. Domestic markets across Africa continue to post better performance with demand for passenger travel outperforming intra-Africa and intercontinental at 64% compared to 22.9% for intra-Africa and 13.1% for intercontinental in May. As regards passenger seats offered, domestic, intra-Africa and intercontinental account for 50.2%, 27.3% and 22.5% respectively.

African airlines restart of operations on international routes continued the positive trend observed in the last three months. May 2021 saw a resumption of 62.5% of international routes compared to the pre-Covid period, recovery further improved to 72.7% in June 2021 and 74.7% in the month under review. Some countries have been easing travel restrictions to facilitate the movement of people and tourists across borders. There is however concern that this positive trend may be reversed in subsequent months if the rate of Covid-19 infections continues to soar.

As regards intra – African connectivity, Mauritius remains the most impacted air travel destination, with a reduction of 98% of possible connections to/from African airports compared to February 2020. Connectivity however improved for the North and West African airports.

Generally across Africa, passenger traffic volumes remain low due to the inconsistencies in the messaging regarding border closures, health protocols and continued surge in Covid-19 infections in some countries. The result is significant low in airlines revenues. In the first 6 months of this year, AFRAA estimates cumulative revenue losses of US$5.0b by African airlines. Full year revenue loss for African airlines for 2021 is forecast at US$8.4b.

In 2020, African airlines made a cumulatively revenue loss of $10.21b due to the impacts of Covid-19. This poor performance is a direct threat to the survival of the African aviation industry if the trend continues’ to the end of the year. There is a need for governments to heed the call by the African Union, AFCAC, AFRAA and other organisations to provide financial reliefs and support to airlines to avoid their collapse.

Other regulatory Developments related to covid19 situation:

  • Moroccan authorities to resume flights to and from the Kingdom under exceptional authorizations.
  • Rwanda back into lockdown to curb surging coronavirus cases and deaths. International flights and tourism movements will however continue.
  • Elsewhere, the Italian Government published ”Technical Regulation” that will compel airlines to allocate seats for minors, disabled persons and passengers with disabilities close to their parents and/or care givers. The regulations came into force on 27 July 2021.
  • The EU has recommended the lifting of European travel restrictions for some third-countries. No African country is on the list published.

 

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Air Seychelles to resume Scheduled Flights to Mauritius in October

Air Seychelles will be resuming scheduled passenger flights to the neighbouring island of Mauritius this October, after an absence of more than 18 months on the route.

The return of the Seychelles flag carrier to the Indian Ocean Island, follows the announcement of the full reopening of the Mauritius borders starting from 1, October 2021, leading to further ease in movement for fully vaccinated travellers looking to explore the many treasures the tropical destination has to offer.

The flights between Seychelles and Mauritius set to start from 3 October, 2021 will be operated twice per week on Wednesdays and Sundays. The route will be serviced by the airline’s environmentally-friendly single-aisle aircraft of 168 seats.

Already on sale, the flights can be booked via airseychelles.com, the airline’s call centre via email at callcentre@airseychelles.com, by phoning 4391000 or through travel agents.

Travellers to Mauritius are requested to visit www.mauritiusnow.com to remain up to date with the latest entry requirements whilst for those bound to Seychelles please visit www.advisory.seychelles.travel. Note quarantine measures may be applicable for unvaccinated travellers in Mauritius.

As entry requirements at each destination may change due to the unprecedented environment, it is the responsibility of each traveller to verify and follow all COVID-19 pre-departure guidelines, in addition to ensuring all related travel documents are available upon check-in as requested by the country of destination.

The flight schedule between Seychelles and Mauritius starting 3 October, 2021 are as follows: The schedule shared is in the local time at each destination.

Media inquiries
Sheryl Barra, Air Seychelles Corporate Affairs
Tel: +248 2576398,
Email: sbarra@airseychelles.com

Source: Air Seychelles

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RwandAir and Qatar Airways join forces to give customers greater choice over combined networks

KIGALI, 2 August, 2021 – RwandAir customers will be able to explore even more of the world following its new partnership with Qatar Airways via their hubs at Kigali and Doha.

As part of the strategic partnership, the extensive interline agreement will give customers access to the networks of both airlines, providing a seamless travel experience and enhanced customer service the frequent flyers programmes.

Customers can pick and choose from over 160 destinations in the combined networks of both airlines, which are perfectly connected via their home main hubs.

This latest cooperation comes hot on the heels of the airlines’ recent loyalty partnerships announcement, giving RwandAir Dream Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty members access to each other’s destinations with the opportunity to ‘earn and burn’ points across their reciprocal route networks.

Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “We’re really excited to be opening up more of the world to our customers through the new interline agreement with Qatar Airways. “Delivering excellent customer experience is key for us and we know that any traveler flying with Qatar Airways or RwandAir, as part of the agreement, will continue to receive the same unrivalled level of service they’re used to from both airlines.”

His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al-Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “This partnership cements our commitment to giving travellers the widest choice of destinations, while providing a seamless, high quality travel experience, which is the goal of both Qatar Airways and RwandAir. “Africa is a hugely important market for us and this latest partnership will help support the recovery of international air travel and offer unrivalled connectivity to and from a number of new African destinations.”

RwandAir operates services throughout Africa and to long-haul destinations including London Heathrow, from its Kigali based hub. It was also the first African airline to be awarded the top Diamond status rating for COVID-prevention measures – the highest attainable level from APEX Health Safety, powered by SimpliFlying.

The airline’s customers will also be able to connect through Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha, the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating, to access Qatar Airways’ destinations on every continent, from Paris to Washington, Delhi to Hong Kong and many more.

With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination if required. Qatar Airways serves Kigali from Doha five times per week via Entebbe, utilizing its sustainable and fuel efficient Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

The airline’s customers can transit via Kigali to a diverse range of African destinations including Bujumbura, Brazzaville and Libreville.

Qatar Airways was recently named Airline of the Year 2021 by Airline Ratings, also clinching Best Middle East Airline, Best Catering, and Best Business Class awards and became the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organization, Skytrax.

For full details of all the safety measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety. This follows the success of Hamad International Airport (HIA) as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.

For further information, please contact: communications@rwandair.com 

Source: Rwandair

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International Pilot Academy and Air Djibouti Announce a New Partnership

Ottawa – Canada, July 27, 2021 – During a virtual ceremony held today, Air Djibouti and International Pilot Academy announced a partnership to launch a new Pilot Training Center in Djibouti, starting in January 2022.

The training center will allow students from all over the world to register in the Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License offered by International Pilot Academy and obtain the corresponding certification from Transport Canada.

Abdourahman Ali Abdillahi, CEO of Air Djibouti stated that “The project will be novel of its kind in Horn of Africa. We are glad to welcome students from around the globe to Djibouti, which is one of the most peaceful countries in the world.” He further said that “the suitable economic standards for students and favourable climate with little seasonal variation translates to good flying weather all year round thus saving cost and money on training.” Mr. Abdillahi added that “the project will help increase the level of activity in Djibouti and demonstrate that our investment has a positive economic impact for the region.”

Jules Selwan, President and CEO of International Pilot Academy confirmed that “International Pilot Academy already has more than a decade of experience in professional pilot training. This training hub in Djibouti gives students the opportunity for higher training standards within a Canadian Flight Training Organization.”

For more information, please contact;

 Air Djibouti                                        +253 21 34 37 37        communications@air-djibouti.com

International Pilot Academy            +1 819-800-9918         admissions@intlpilotacademy.com

Source: Air Djibouti

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Coastal Travels Limited Completes IATA Standard Safety Assessment

Coastal Travels Limited is pleased to announce that‚ it has successfully completed the IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) designed for commercial passenger and/or cargo operators and the airline is now on the ISSA registry. The ISSA program is a global safety standard for commercial operators not covered by existing programs.

The IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) Program is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

This achievement is a reflection of Coastal Travels Limited’s commitment to safety and compliance. With the dynamic aviation market today, particularly with regards to how it affects traveling passengers globally, it is critical that airline operators raise their standards with regards to safety and compliance. This is what Coastal Travels Limited has achieved with this certification from IATA.

Coastal Travels Limited, being the pioneer safari operator in Tanzania, has been awarded this prestigious ISSA certification by IATA to validate its compliance to globally accepted safety standards and recommended practices.

Coastal is currently the only operator in Africa in the ISSA Registry.

To achieve this, the following operational management and control systems of Coastal Travels Limited was rigorously assessed by IATA to determine its level of conformity to all the ISSA Standards and Recommended Practices:

  • Organization & Management (ORG)
  • Flight Operations (FLT)
  • Maintenance & Engineering (MNT)
  • Operational Control & Dispatch (DSP)
  • Ground Handling (GRH)
  • Cargo (CGO)
  • Security (SEC)

Following the assessment and various quality control processes, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) came to a conclusion on 18th June, 2021 that Coastal Travels Limited is worthy of being listed among accredited safe airlines globally.

The benefits and opportunities this prestigious ISSA certification brings to Coastal, its clients, business partners and customers are:

  1. Reduction of redundant audits
  2. Marketing and commercial advantages such as codeshares and interline agreements
  3. Reduction of insurance premiums
  4. Preliminary step to IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit)
  5. Objective measurement of Coastal Travels Limited conformity
  6. Implementation of Safety Management System (SMS)

This is most certainly an achievement we are honored to have earned!! The coastal team wishes to reaffirm its commitment to providing reliable, safe and a most pleasurable safari experience to all our guest.

“We have remained focused on safety being the top of our agenda. Having completed 2 years of vigorous training and assessments of our pilots and introducing 2-crew MCC (Multi-Crew Coordinated) cockpit, we are now delving deeper. Our team go through regular re-evaluation – there is a constant eye on our day-to-day operations and ensuring that we are following our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It is an everlasting journey with an elusive destination, but contributes to passenger reassurance and comfort. That chronic sense of unease is what will keep us alert and ready to respond.

 The continual training and assessment of our pilots has further evolved, as we have established a standards department responsible for ensuring that all of our pilots and all of our flights follow the Coastal standard. We take feedback from multiple sources, including our own internal reporting, feedback from customers and other operators, to bring our teams to task.” – Capt. Maynard Mkumbwa, Managing Director & Accountable Manager.

The journey to promote ever increasing standards of safety and operations is continuous and needs focus and determination. Coastal Travels Limited, is fortunate to have a new Managing Director & Accountable Executive, Capt. Maynard Mkumbwa who has worked for Coastal Travels Limited for more than 20 years and has more than 30 years of working experience in the aviation industry.

Source: Coastal Travels

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RwandAir is the first African airline to achieve Diamond status in the APEX Health Safety audit powered by SimpliFlying

RwandAir has become the first African airline to be awarded the top Diamond status rating for COVID-19 prevention measures – the highest attainable level.

The award comes from APEX Health Safety, powered by SimpliFlying, for the airline’s sustained work to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitisation for its customers and crew.

The Diamond rating positions RwandAir as the safest airline in Africa and comes after RwandAir was recently announced as the first African airline to vaccinate all staff.

APEX Health Safety, powered by SimpliFlying, sets the industry benchmark for customer-centric COVID-19 certification. It provides a scientifically-based validation system to encourage airlines to reach the highest possible standards for health and hygiene, and help restore customer confidence to fly, following the devastating impact of travel restrictions on aviation.

Each participating airline has to complete a 58-point checklist, which covers submission, verification, validation, and a quarterly review certification process.

Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, said: “The health and safety of our customers and staff is the top priority for RwandAir, so we are delighted to be awarded Diamond status from APEX Health Safety, powered by SimpliFlying, for our COVID-19 prevention measures.

“Reaching the highest attainable level for hygiene standards is a powerful clean bill of health for the airline, and validation for all the hard work we have put in to ensure the safest possible traveller experience for our customers and staff.

“We know that restoring customer confidence to fly is critical to resume safe international travel, which is why we have undertaken a 360-degree approach to ensuring that every aspect of our operations meet the highest standards.

“From the deep cleaning and disinfection of aircraft, to automatic hand sanitiser dispensers available throughout Kigali International Airport, our hub, we have looked at every aspect of the customer journey to ensure we keep COVID-19 at bay and protect those who fly with us.

“Passengers are required to wear face masks throughout the flight, while our aircraft are equipped with HEPA filters to remove 99.9% of germs.

“With all of these protective measures in place, we are confident that customers will begin to fly once again, and travel safely both within Africa and internationally with RwandAir. As Rwanda’s doors are now open for tourism, we look forward to welcoming passengers from around the world to experience the country’s natural wonders, while staying safe and healthy.

Joe Leader, APEX CEO, said: “RwandAir has demonstrated the highest possible level of care for its customers becoming the first African airline to reach the hospital-grade Diamond level of APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying’s comprehensive review.

“RwandAir proves that reaching this level of health safety does not depend upon the size of the airline, but rather the incredibly proactive steps taken for customer and staff wellbeing. We are deeply proud of RwandAir as a rising star for our entire airline industry in Africa.”

“RwandAir has made a great breakthrough in implementing their health safety strategy along the whole customer journey since the beginning of the pandemic. Successful vaccination of all staff, implementation of the robots throughout the terminal in Kigali airport that are able to tell passengers temperature and confirm whether they are wearing a mask — these measures bring RwandAir to the forefront of the aviation industry in terms of safety” said SimpliFlying CEO Shashank Nigam. “Taking such measures in ensuring health safety will help bolster trust among travellers,” he added.

The award from APEX Health Safety, powered by SimpliFlying, gives airlines a proactive role in helping resume international travel, creates a common standard for airlines for the health and safety of passengers and highlights successful aviation industry practices.

For more information about RwandAir, please visit www.rwandair.com.
ENDS
For further information, please contact: communications@rwandair.com

Source: Rwandair

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