The national carrier, RwandAir, has been named this year’s most promising airline in the world by the Arabian Travel Awards. This is the second time in a row that the airline gets the recognition. Speaking to Saturday Times, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, the Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir, said the recognition is an honour and vote of confidence. “We are once again honoured to receive this significant recognition by the Arabian Travel Awards family. This shows that our efforts to provide high quality services are being recognised globally,” she said in a phone interview. Makolo also said that such an award is a motivation to strive for greatness. RwandAir’s Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Manzi Makolo speaks to media. She added that, as a fast growing airline the award “encourages us to work harder and continuously improve on our service offering.” This is the third time the carrier scoops such an award. The airline was chosen based on quality of service and operations. Timothy Njihia, the RwandAir country manager in United Arab Emirates, received the award at the awarding ceremony held on Friday in Dubai. Makolo urged the airline’s staff to maintain their hard work, dedication and discipline. According to Francois Gasore, of the Rwanda Tours and Travel Association (RTTA), the recognition reflects promising services that the airline offers. “The national carrier being awarded twice in a row shows that it offers to its passengers quality services. It also contributes to the development of tourism across the globe” he said. Rwanda Arabian Travel Awards is an annual ceremony designed to celebrate efforts by different upcoming travel and hospitality industry. RwandAir has continued to expand both in fleet size and in the number of destinations it services. In April this year, it launched flights to DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, and in June it launched flights to the Chinese commercial hub of Guangzhou, and the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. Currently the airline operates 29 destinations altogether. RwandAir operates a fleet of 12 aircraft comprising two Airbus A330s, six Boeing 737NGs, two Bombardier CRJs, and two Q400s. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
