#Rwandair – The African Airlines Association (AFRAA)

Posted on: September 13, 2021

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

Posted on: August 3, 2021

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

Posted on: July 19, 2021

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

Posted on: July 12, 2021

RwandAir Dream miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club launch loyalty partnership for frequent fliers

KIGALI, 12 July, 2021 – RwandAir has become the first – and only – Sub-Saharan African airline to launch a loyalty partnership with Qatar Airways.

The two carriers have joined forces to offer 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.

Under the new deal, RwandAir Dream Miles members will be able to fly to more than 140 Qatar Airways destinations using miles earned by flights bought through RwandAir.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club members will have the ability to earn miles on RwandAir’s flights, both within Africa and on long-haul routes, to destinations such as New York and London.

Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, said: “RwandAir is incredibly proud to be the first Sub-Saharan African airline to enter into partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

“Customer loyalty is of huge importance to both RwandAir and Qatar Airways. We both strive to put the customer experience first and give recognition to our most frequent fliers.

“Now RwandAir Dream Miles customers will be able to earn and burn points to give them access to flights across Qatar Airways’ extensive route network, with the same reciprocal benefits to Qatar Airways Privilege Club members.
“We believe this initiative is a major step forward to greater cooperation between Africa’s most ambitious airline and one of the world’s most prestigious international carriers, and we look forward to further enhancing the benefits of our Dream Miles members.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive H.E. Mr Akbar Al Baker said: “Our partnership with RwandAir opens up a world of possibilities for the customers of both airlines, allowing them to discover exciting destinations. Members of Privilege Club and Dream Miles can enjoy significant benefits including world class travel experiences on our strong complementary networks.

Since RwandAir launched its Dream Miles loyalty programme in 2011 it has grown in popularity and become a favourite of the airline’s frequent fliers.

The Dream Miles programme has four tiers of membership, with Emerald forming the entry level, entitling members to a free ticket using award miles, eligibility for a flight upgrade, as well as last minute cabin upgrades and up to 40kgs excess baggage using award miles.

In addition, Silver tier members, who have earned 25,000 ‘Tier Miles’ or taken 20 flights in a year, are entitled to an additional 10kg of checked-in baggage, can earn 25% bonus miles on all RwandAir flights and be given priority on the waitlist. Gold tier members, who have earned 50,000 miles or taken 40 flights a year, enjoy a wide range of benefits, including 50% bonus miles on all RwandAir flights and 15kg extra checked baggage allowance. They can also receive a free ticket and complimentary upgrade to the higher cabin using miles, as well as priority check-in, baggage tagging, Business Class lounge access and high priority on the waitlist. RwandAir’s most highly-valued frequent flyers can benefit from Diamond tier status in reward for earning 100,000 miles or taking 60 flights a year. Benefits include 100% bonus miles on all RwandAir flights, an additional 23kg of checked baggage and one free upgrade to Business Class per year when travelling in the Economy cabin. Following two years of consecutive Diamond status, their tier will be automatically extended for a further two years.

Source: Rwandair

Posted on: March 4, 2021

RwandAir to be the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass

RwandAir will become the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass to enable safe and seamless international travel. The airline will begin a three-week trial in April for customers travelling between Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya. IATA Travel Pass is a digital platform to help passengers easily and securely verify that they comply with COVID 19 test or vaccine travel requirements, in turn giving governments the confidence to reopen borders. Developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world’s airlines, the platform is designed to be incorporated into airlines’ own apps, so travellers by air easily understand what they need before they fly.

Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, said: “RwandAir is proud to be the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass, which could reinforce all the health and safety measures and protocols which we have put in place to restore customer confidence to fly once more. We are incredibly proud to be part of IATA’s Industry Advisory Panel, to ensure we guide the technology development in a way that covers the unique requirements of our passenger profile.
“IATA’s innovative solution simplifies and digitally transmits the information required by countries and governments around the world into our airline systems, in a secure and efficient manner.

“Travel Pass will make it easy for our customers to resume flying – and just as easy for RwandAir, and airlines around the world, to accept them.

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO, said: “RwandAir is showing its industry leadership in Africa by becoming the first airline on the continent to trial IATA Travel Pass. RwandAir has long used IATA products as the most reliable source of information on entry requirements. This trial will build on that history of working in partnership and takes us a step further in the context of COVID-19. IATA Travel Pass will give governments the confidence to re-open their borders knowing that arriving passengers are in full compliance with any testing or vaccination requirements.”

The trial app has a range of features, including a registry of testing centres and labs at the departure and/or arrival location which can conduct COVID-19 tests in accordance with the type of test required for the journey. RwandAir customers participating in the trial will create a ‘digital passport’ which verifies that their pre-travel COVID-19 test or vaccination meets the requirements of the destination they are travelling to. They will also be able to safely and securely share their test and vaccination certificates with participating authorities and airlines around the world to ensure smooth and seamless travel.

For more information about RwandAir, please visit www.rwandair.com

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

Posted on: January 29, 2021

RwandAir expands into Central Africa with new route to Bangui

RwandAir is set to launch a new route into Central Africa with flights to Bangui.

The launch of the new intra-African service to the Central African Republic is part of RwandAir’s recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as it opens up new markets and destinations.

The Kigali-based airline will fly to Bangui the capital of Central African Republic, twice a week from February 3 2021, with flights operating on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Tagged to the existing route to Douala in Cameroon, the flight will be operated by one of the airline’s existing Boeing 737 aircraft, offering customers a choice of seats in two cabins, Business Class and Economy Class.

Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “The launch of our new twice-weekly service to Bangui will open up a new lucrative market for RwandAir and help stimulate trade in the region and beyond Africa”.

“Thanks to RwandAir’s quick and easy connections via our Kigali hub, we believe this new route will strengthen the growing trade ties in Africa and bolster Rwanda’s growing economy. Customers will benefit from more choice, through our premium onboard service, and will fly in a safe and hygienic environment thanks to our world-class cleaning measures.”

Since August 1 2020, RwandAir has gradually resumed commercial flights across its global network, including most of its African routes, as well as some long-haul destinations such as London Heathrow, Brussels and Dubai.
To ensure the health and safety of its customers as its number one priority, RwandAir has also published a Five-Step Health & Safety Guide to provide for a clean and secure onboard experience.

Tickets for Bangui are now available for sale through rwandair.com, sales offices and travel agencies, and include complimentary travel insurance.

Source: Rwandair

Posted on: July 24, 2020

Rwandair Returns to Service

RwandAir, the Rwandan national flag carrier, will resume commercial passenger services from 1st August 2020. Flights will restart with select African routes where travel restrictions have been eased and borders have reopened.

Flights to the airline’s long-haul destination of Dubai will also recommence with a 3 times a week service and more destinations will gradually be added to the network as countries continue to lift travel restrictions.
The airline temporarily suspended commercial flights on 20th March 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customers can check the full schedule of available flights on www.rwandair.com Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: “Now travel bans and restrictions are being relaxed, we can once again resume flying and look forward to welcoming our highly-valued customers back to RwandAir.

“We want to ensure our return to flying matches consumer demand as the world adapts to travel in the post-COVID-19 world, where the health, safety and security of our customers and staff will continue to be of paramount importance.

“As we adjust to the ‘new normal’, our strict new health and hygiene measures will keep
customers and our ground and on board crew safe”. RwandAir has been working hard to prepare for the return of its customers, and has published a Five-Step Health & Safety Guide that can be found on
https://www.rwandair.com/information/prepare-to-fly/five-step-health-safety-guide to ensure a clean and secure welcome back on board.

As RwandAir ramps up passenger flights, the airline will react quickly and responsibly to changing demand, as the world combats the coronavirus outbreak. Schedules will be kept under constant review to adapt to travel restrictions in different countries.

Customers are recommended to book and check-in online through rwandair.com.

Source: Rwandair

Rwandair adds Two New Routes in DRC to its Network

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

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

RwandAir Dream miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club launch loyalty partnership for frequent fliers

RwandAir to be the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass

RwandAir expands into Central Africa with new route to Bangui

Rwandair Returns to Service

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