By BERNA NAMATA

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RwandAir is set to launch daily flights between Kigali and London Heathrow on October 29 this year, a few months after it increased the frequency on the same route to four times a week.  

“Having first launched flights to the British capital in 2017, we have continued to build our presence following strong demand from customers here in the UK and Africa.

“We know these new daily direct flights will offer customers the convenience and connectivity which they have long asked for, and look forward to welcoming more visitors to Rwanda,” RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo said in a statement. 

The airline has flown between London and Kigali since May 2017 via an indirect service through Brussels, having launched flights from London Gatwick on 26 May 2017.

Read:RwandAir starts non-stop flights to London

In 2020, RwandAir decided to switch flights to the UK’s busiest airport London Heathrow, helping to improve connections for those travelling from further afield.

RwandAir has significantly expanded its operations over the last two years, most recently launching direct flights between Paris and Kigali weeks after taking delivery of the new aircraft A330-200 to take advantage of summer holiday traffic.

The airline is benefiting from the strong recovery of Rwanda's tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions/Events) sector which earned the country $ 62.4 million in 2022 from hosting 104 events, up from $12.5 million in 2021. 

This year, the country continues to host global events -with the most recent happening this week - the Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023) which was attended by at least 6000 delegates. 

Now, the country is also set to host the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit in November 2023. It will also host the inaugural TIME100 Summit and Impact Awards Africa which recognize the most influential people in the world on 17 November. 

Meanwhile, RwandAir is backing on closing its partnership deal with Qatar Airways which is set to acquire a 49 per cent stake in the airline to expand its capacity. 

Qatar Airways’ planned investment is valued at least $28 million, according to financial statements submitted to the US Department of Transportation in 2021.

On October 5, 2021, RwandAir and Qatar Airways announced they had signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement that gives the Rwandan carrier access to Qatar’s more than 65 destinations across Africa and the rest of the world.

As part of the deal, RwandAir launched non-stop flights between its Kigali hub and Doha in December. 

Read: Qatar seeks to expand interests in EA

RwandAir currently operates 28 destinations in 22 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia with 13 aircraft.