RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the
Republic of Rwanda, has signed a firm
contract with Airbus for an A330-200 and a
larger A330-300, at a ceremony in Kigali,
Rwanda.
With this order RwandAir becomes a new Airbus customer and is the first East African
customer for the long-haul airliner.
Aircraft deliveries will begin in the second
half of 2016, enabling the country’s carrier
to deploy its new flagship aircraft on
medium and long-haul routes serving destinations in Europe, the Middle East and
Asia.
The two aircraft will feature a three class
cabin layouts. The A330-200 will have 244
seats (20 business class, 21 premium and
203 economy class) and the A330-300 will have 274 seats (30 business class, 21
premium and 223 economy class). The
aircraft will be equipped with Rolls Royce
Trent 772B engines.
“As we look to introduce wide body aircraft
for the first time into our fleet, with its proven economics, reliability and passenger
comfort, we have found the A330 to
perfectly support our plans to expand into
Europe and Asia; to enhance our regional
presence; to open up new routes and to
grow our market share. We are also delighted to have these aircraft powered by
Rolls-Royce, as the Trent 700 engine
delivers the most efficient and reliable
power, and will maximize the revenue
earning potential of our new aircraft,’’ Chief
Executive Officer of RwandAir, John Mirenge said.
On his part, Executive Vice President, Africa,
Europe and Asia Pacific, Christopher
Buckley, said, “We are extremely pleased
that RwandAir has confirmed its confidence
in the A330, and are happy to welcome them as a new A330 customer. Their
Passengers will enjoy best-in-class
passenger comfort that only Airbus offers
as well as the newest state of the art in-flight
entertainment system. RwandAir will be
able to benefit with the A330s from the unique combination of unbeatable
economics, versatility and fuel efficiency.”
To date the A330 Family, which spans 250
to 300 seats, has attracted more than 1,500
orders and around 1,200 A330s are flying
worldwide with over 100 operators. Ever since the original A330-300 entered
service, its hallmarks are its very efficient
operating economics, innovative cabin
features, while offering passengers much
wider economy-class seats than any
competing aircraft. Moreover, with numerous product improvements and with
an operational reliability of 99.4 percent, the
A330 is the most cost-efficient and capable
aircraft in its class.
From Kigali as its hub in the heart of Africa,
RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest
fleet on the African continent.
The airline which is also well reputed for an
excellent on time performance, reaches out
to eighteen cities in Western, Eastern and
Southern Africa and the Middle East. RwandAir recent major milestone is the
passing of the IATA Operational Safety Audit
which resulted in the acquisition of the IOSA
certificate. The airline’s commitment to
operate with the highest and international
industry safety standards continues with the pursuit of another certification, the IATA
Safety Audit for Ground Operations
expected to be completed by June 2016.

Nigeria Airways??