RwandAir seek increased presence in Australia and New Zealand
Monday, January 14, 2019
RwandAir plans to commence direct flights to Addis Ababa in April. Sam Ngendahimana.

RwandAir has selected Airline Rep Services as the General Sales Agent (GSA) to represent the airline in Australia and New Zealand.

 A call centre in Australia has been set up to service the needs of the travel agents and customers for the region.

The Airline Rep Services Managing Director Roheena Gidwani said that the partnership will further market the national carrier to the region.

 "It is an amazing opportunity to partner with RwandAir and its growth story for the ANZ (Australia and the New Zealand) region. Rwanda is one of the safest countries in the world. From the capital city, Kigali, the airline serves some of the big cities in the world such as Mumbai, Dubai, Brussels, London and Johannesburg,” said.

RwandAir  Chief  Executive Officer Yvonne Manzi Makolo, said the firm was selected  following consideration of  its operating standards, experience among other aspects.

 "We are pleased to associate with Airline Rep Services as RwandAir GSA that handles our sales and distribution network within Australia and the New Zealand. This was accomplished due to their standards, and wealth of experience in air travel management. We are challenging them to capitalise on their strengths and capabilities to help maximising our sales and revenues, promote the airline’s presence in both markets, and connect our customers to over 26 destinations in Africa, Middle East, Europe and Asia,” Makolo said.

RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines in the region with a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body Airbus A330.

The airline  currently serves twenty-six destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Previously, RwandAir started flights from Kigali to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels as well as Dakar from its second hub in Cotonou.

RwandAir also introduced flights to Abidjan, Libreville and Brazzaville from its Cotonou hub.

In April 2018, it started flights to Abuja in Nigeria while Cape Town has joined its network effective May 16, 2018.

 RwandAir will start flights to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia in April, while Guangzhou in China and Tel Aviv in Israel will also be added to the expanding network, according to officials.

 RwandAir also plans to enter the American market with flights to New York.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw