Rwandair to commence London service by 2018


Rwandair Airbus A330-200

RwandAir plans to start flights to Gatwick, (LGW) London's second-busiest airport, by 2018, according to John Mirenge, the airline's chief executive officer.

North Terminal - Gatwick Airport

Mirenge said the national carrier was currently negotiating with the UK Civil Aviation Authority to start flights to Gatwick. The move, he added, is part of the airline's expansion plans that also include opening of new routes to other parts of Europe as well as East Asia.

Last year, airline officials told the Rwandan Parliament that they were in final stages of seeking approvals to start flights to these two regions as part of a wider expansion drive by RwandAir. However, RwandAir will first open routes to Harare in Zimbabwe; Mumbai, India; and Guangzhou in China before expanding to Western Europe, Mirenge said while launching the airline's first commercial flights to Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Friday. He said the airline is ready to ply the Kigali-Gatwick route once it receives a green light from the UK civil aviation body.

Recently, the airline acquired its first widebody jet, an Airbus A330-200 (nicknamed Ubumwe) to boost its fleet and capacity to compete globally. It is expecting a further delivery of another Airbus A330-300 Aircraft to further boost its fleet and enable it serve planned destinations in Europe and East Asia.

RwandAir is IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certified. The globally-recognised and accepted evaluation certification confirms that the airline's operational management and control systems meet international civil aviation safety and other standards.

Culled from here