Rwanda Airline to Open New Int'l Flights to Europe, Asia in 2016

Rwanda's flag carrier, RwandAir Express, plans to open several international flight routes to Europe and Asia including China and India by next year, an official statement said Tuesday.

The announcement came after RwandAir concluded an aircraft purchase agreement worth US$160 million with the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (PTA Bank), it said.

Two new Airbus aircraft to be acquired by Rwanda airline have been designed to seat up between 244-268 passengers in a move to increase the frequency of several international routes by next year.

According to RwandAir, there is currently a fierce competition in the international aviation routes to the East African country due to the recent mushroom of many aviation firms from different parts across the World.

On the regional aviation market, the Rwandair Express has the ambition to compete with other companies like Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines which serve many countries in Europe, North America and South Asia via Rwanda, it said.

The acquisition of the two wide body aircraft will significantly increase RwandAir's capacity to effectively meet growing demand and provide exceptional service quality for the ever growing long distance routes to Asia-China passenger markets, the statement said.

Speaking at signing ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer, RwandAir, John Mirenge said: "On behalf of the airline, we are honored to have PTA Bank as our long-term and dependable partner in supporting our growth strategy".

"The new acquisition shall enable us to enhance and spread our world-class product and services beyond our current footprint," Mirenge was quoted in a statement as saying.

In order to prepare for the plans, RwandAir has been speeding up its restructuring process over the past few years especially through the acquisition of new generation Boeing 737-700 to enhance its fleet, which currently consists of eight aircraft.