Inside plans to double RwandAir passengers

RwandAir is looking to more than double its passenger numbers from just over 1 million in 2023/24 to more than 2.1 million by 2028/29, through new aircraft acquisitions, expanded routes, and strategic partnerships, according to officials at the national carrier. The ambitious goal is outlined in Rwanda's Transport Sector Strategic Plan 2024–2029, which identifies air transport as a critical enabler of national development. Like the rest of the global aviation industry, RwandAir was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Passenger numbers dropped from over 1.15 million before the pandemic to just 316,858 in 2020/21. However, the airline bounced back strongly, carrying slightly over 1 million passengers in 2023/24. ALSO READ: RwandAir records 80% revenue growth in 2023 The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting air transport through bilateral air service agreements (BASAs) with other countries and investment in high-capacity airports, including the New Kigali International Airport under construction in Bugesera District. In an interview with The New Times, Fouad Caunhye, RwandAir’s Chief Commercial Officer, outlined the airline’s roadmap to achieving its 2029 targets. Here are the excerpts: How does RwandAir plan to achieve the target to double its passengers? To achieve this target, we are implementing a comprehensive growth strategy that focuses on several key areas: Fleet expansion and modernisation: We plan to increase our fleet from the current 14 aircraft to at least 21 by 2029. This will involve acquiring new aircraft such as the Airbus A330 for long-haul routes, the Boeing B737-800 for regional and mid-haul operations, and the Bombardier Q400 for shorter domestic routes. Route network expansion: We are dedicated to increasing flight frequencies and adding new destinations, especially within Africa. With Mombasa and Zanzibar among the exciting routes soon to be launched, highlighting our commitment to expanding regional connectivity. For longer flights, we are boosting the frequency of existing routes to London and Dubai, while also exploring the possibility of resuming service to Guangzhou. Additionally, we plan to transform Kigali into a key regional transfer hub, particularly with the new Kigali International Airport [located in Bugesera] on the horizon. Strategic partnerships: RwandAir continues to strengthen its partnership with Qatar Airways to enhance its network and expand codeshare agreements. This is aligned with the well-advanced discussions with Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for the acquisition of RwandAir shares. We are also building alliances with other African carriers to broaden our reach and are working on integrating loyalty programs to attract and retain frequent flyers. One of the expected outcomes of the Transport Sector Strategic Plan 2024-2029 is to gradually increase RwandAir’s destinations from 23 in 2023/24 to 29 in 2028/29. What is the progress made so far in this regard, and what remains to be done to achieve the target? Progress on expanding our destinations has been limited so far. This is mainly due to some temporary capacity constraints; a few aircraft were out of service because of technical issues. The good news is that those aircraft are scheduled to return to service shortly, and we are also reinforcing our fleet with three additional aircraft (two B737-800s and one A330-200). These additions will give us the flexibility we need to pursue the route expansions that were previously put on hold. How is RwandAir performing in terms of serving the already existing destinations and plans to improve the performance going forward? We have faced some operational disruptions recently because of the capacity issues I mentioned. Our immediate priority is to stabilize and optimize our performance across our existing network. With the new aircraft joining the fleet, we will be able to improve scheduling and reliability, which will provide a strong foundation for adding more destinations in the future. Despite these challenges, RwandAir’s commitment to excellence has been recognised globally, as we were named the Best Regional Airline in Africa at the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards, an achievement that reflects our resilience and dedication to delivering world-class service to our passengers. What does the RwandAir expansion entail, and how much money was allocated to it in this year -- 2025/26? The expansion for this fiscal year is a key project for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. It involves adding new aircraft to our fleet to improve operational stability and prepare for future route growth. However, the specific financial allocation for this expansion has not been publicly disclosed. How does the RwandAir expansion in 2025/26 respond to the targets to increase its destinations and number of passengers by 2029 as indicated in the Transport Sector Strategic Plan — 2024-2029? This year's expansion is the crucial first step toward achieving the long-term goals of the Transport Sector Strategic Plan. By adding new aircraft and stabilizing our operations in 2025/26, we are building the essential capacity needed to support the planned increase in both passenger numbers and destinations over the next five years.

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Inside plans to double RwandAir passengers