Rwanda's state-run carrier RwandAir will either purchase or lease two Boeing 737-800 jets by early 2017 to help it expand routes within Africa, a senior company executive said on Thursday. At present, the airline flies from Kigali to 17 destinations in the continent, most of them capitals of east and central Africa, as well as to Lagos in Nigeria, Ghana's Accra and Johannesburg in South Africa. Its sole destination outside the continent is Dubai.
RwandAir signed a deal to buy an Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-3000 in September worth about $500 million based on list prices. In an interview with Reuters, Girma Wake, chairman of RwandAir's board of directors, said the Rwandan government had now approved two additional jets as part of expansion plans. "(The)737-800s - we are either leasing or buying them direct," Girma said. Asked when he expected delivery, he said: "End of 2016, or beginning 2017."
RwandAir has a fleet of eight jets, including two Boeing 737-800NGs, two Boeing 737-700NGs, two Bombardier CRJ900NGs and one Bombardier Dash 8-200. "The 737 narrow bodies are to cover more points in Africa," Girma told Reuters on the sidelines of an African hotels investment conference. "RwandAir already has eight (planes), so when you add two narrow bodies the coverage in Africa will be very good." The Central African country's flagship carrier was formed only 13 years ago.
It plans to strengthen its presence close to home and carve out a niche by connecting under-served destinations across Africa. The company expects to break even by 2018. Girma said the carrier planned to add ten more destinations in two years' time. "Probably by the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017, RwandAir will be flying to Asia and to Europe. India is one of them and China another," he said.
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