IGIHE journalist Karirima A. Ngarambe recently had the opportunity to experience RwandAir's new A330 aircraft on a flight from London to Kigali, departing at 9:20 PM on August 5, 2024, and arriving the following morning.
This flight is part of the airline's daily direct service between London and Kigali, which initially started with four weekly flights from Gatwick Airport in May 2017.
On May 9, 2024, RwandAir transitioned its flights to Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4 due to an increase in passenger demand from the UK to Rwanda.
The airline's modern wide-body A330 aircraft operates these flights, with flight WB711 leaving London at 9:20 PM and arriving in Kigali at 7:00 AM the next morning.
The return flights, WB710/712, alternate departure times from Kigali, either at 1:45 AM or 11:25 PM, landing at Heathrow daily at 7:00 AM or 9:50 AM.
RwandAir's CEO, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, expressed satisfaction with the increasing performance of these flights, particularly in connecting African countries. She emphasized the airline's commitment to maintaining the progress.
"London has always been a significant city for RwandAir, as it was our first European destination following our inaugural flight to Gatwick in 2017," Makolo stated.
"These direct daily flights are a testament to the growing demand from customers both in the UK and Africa. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to our beautiful land of a thousand hills. Visitors from the UK have visa-free access to Rwanda and can expect to experience an extraordinary range of wildlife and green, mountainous landscapes," she added.
A 2023 report by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) highlighted a 22.7% increase in cargo transported by RwandAir that year, reaching 4,595 tons. Major destinations for this cargo included Dubai, the UK, and Belgium. Additionally, the number of visitors to Rwanda rose from 521,000 in 2021 to 1.4 million in 2023.
Makolo also mentioned that the airline's convenient schedule allows easy connections through the Kigali hub to many destinations in Africa and the Middle East.
Customers flying with RwandAir can enjoy complimentary inflight dining, free drinks, and inflight entertainment on seat-back video screens.
RwandAir provides a generous baggage allowance for its passengers. Economy Class travelers can check in two bags, each weighing up to 23kg, along with an additional handbag of 10kg. Business Class passengers enjoy even more flexibility, with the option to check in up to three bags, each weighing up to 23kg each.
Karirima A. Ngarambe
