Connecting Africa to the world

As the slogan goes, connecting Africa to the world, RwandAir has been connecting many destinations over the past few years through their direct operations, codeshares and interline agreements. In an interview with TRAVTALK, Ivan Mugisha, Country Manager UAE, RwandAir, share some of their important plans, including the launch of direct flights to Mombasa, Zanzibar, Maputo and Luanda, going ahead into 2025.

Dr Shehara Rizly

Will you be looking at new routes or codeshares in 2025?

Growth is very critical and of paramount importance to us. We continue to exert our footprint on the globe by expanding our network and connecting to under-tapped destinations through direct operations, codeshare and interline partnerships. This will remain our key focus for a wider and inter-continental reach for our customers next year. We will also be launching direct flights to Mombasa, Zanzibar, Maputo and Luanda enhancing our intra Africa network and tapping into the continent’s booming population and rising middle class, which is a trigger for the surging demand for air travel in Africa.

How important are the travel agents for RwandAir?

The travel agents’ fraternity is instrumental to our growth and success to-date. Their patronage over the years remains invaluable and has helped us sustain our operations and services. We cherish our existing relationship and remain indebted to their unwavering support as we continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

What is the percentage of business from agents?

Travel agencies are an important sales channel for us and maintain a wider reach and presence as our partners in the market commanding over 60 per cent of our sales. Heavy investment in digital sales platforms by agencies compounds their sales scope giving them more leverage for business support.

Are there any new products/ services on offer by RwandAir?

We just launched two new products; the ‘RwandAir e-sim’ for over 150 countries that curbs roaming charges and allows hassle-free travel for our customers by ensuring that they stay in touch with family and friends wherever they travel. ‘Time to think’ is also a newly launched product on our website which allows passengers the flexibility to book their flights and hold their fares for up to 72 hours. The feature empowers our customers to plan their travel with confidence, ensuring they never miss out on our fantastic deals while finalising the details of their trips

Sustainability is a key factor in every industry, how does RwandAir work towards it?

Aviation industry is one of the top global contributors to greenhouse gases and sustainability is one of our top priorities. We are mindful of climate change impact by emissions and noise pollution by purchasing and deploying modern aircraft with the right technology to ensure fuel efficiency and limited CO2 emissions. Alternate aviation fuel is something being discussed broadly for the future.

Has there been any increase in terms of frequency? Will you be looking at increasing the frequency?

We plan to maintain daily flights to and from Dubai but will increase our capacity from early next year, as we are set to deploy A330s on the route, a product deemed fit and preferred by passengers in the market. This should be a boost for us in winning more market share and competing more evenly with our competitors.

Could you give us a demography of travellers? Are they more leisure, business or a mix of travellers?

Our traffic is a mix of various market segments but mainly business and trader traffic, followed by leisure, MICE, labour and corporate travellers. We see potential for sports and medical tourism in the UAE and should start diversifying and promoting this traffic.

Any plans to cross promote Rwanda and RwandAir with United Arab Emirates?

RwandAir continues to partner with Dubai Economy and Tourism to promote Dubai as a holiday destination and Rwanda as transit point with its own unique touristic attractions. We recently brought in 45 agents and staff from eight different countries in Africa to give them first-hand experiences on attractions Dubai has to offer. This will initiate collaborations with local destination management companies for tailor-made holiday packages for leisure travellers from each country stimulating inbound traffic for Dubai on RwandAir.