RwandAir will from next month start operating seven flights a week between Kigali and Johannesburg after signing a codeshare agreement with South African Airways.

The codeshare agreement will see South African Airways pull out of the route, giving monopoly to RwandAir over direct flights between Kigali and Johannesburg.

“As an upcoming young airline, this is a vote of confidence in our capability because before a codeshare is signed, they have to ensure that we conform to certain standards,” John Mirenge, RwandAir’s chief executive officer, told Rwanda Today.

The agreement will now enable RwandAir to compete with regional airlines like Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.

Marketing the route

Under the agreement, RwandAir will be the operating carrier, while South African Airways will market the route.

Rwandair flies seven times per week between Kigali and Johhanesburg.

This year, the national carrier is targeting to grow its passenger traffic to 500,000, up from 370,000 recorded last year.

Codesharing is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a co-operating airline.

“We are on course going by the performance of the first quarter.” Mr Mirenge said.

The codeshare agreement is also expected to help RwandAir market Kigali as a new hub as it connects the country’s capital city with other existing hubs.
The deal will also pave the way for RwandAir to join other networks.

Rwanda is counting on the aggressive expansion of its national carrier to grow its tourism revenues, as the airline plans to launch new routes and direct flights in the coming months.

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While previously tourists have had to rely on connecting flights mainly by Kenya Airways and SN Brussels with limited choices, RwandAir is increasingly introducing new routes targeting transit passengers.

Tourism generated Rwf178 billion in 2012 compared with previous year’s Rwf159 billion, representing an increase of 17 per cent.

New route

The codeshare agreement comes barely two months after RwandAir launched the flights to Juba International Airport, which operates three flights a week.

Manoj Papa, the South African Airways Acting general-manager for commercial said: “RwandAir’s professionalism and strong adherence to safety and security standards makes it a great partner in the region’s booming aviation industry.”

RwandAir operates a fleet that consists of four Boeing 737 series aircraft and one Bombardier Dash-200 series and two new Bombardier CRJ-900 airplanes.