RwandAir has started four weekly Abuja-Kigali flights in addition to the daily Lagos-Kigali service.
Speaking at the unveiling of the new service in Abuja, the airline’s country manager, Ms Ibiyemi Odusi said the Abuja-Kigali operation will provide opportunity for government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and other players in the public and private sectors to connect flight from Abuja directly to other routes on the carrier’s network.
She also said new addition “is positioned to allow Nigerians have more travel options from the nation’s political capital to destinations flown by RwandAir.”
Odusi said Nigerian passengers will benefit from the RwandAir’s route network adding that with the right product pricing, scheduling planning and other unique selling points at the airline’s disposal, “RwandAir intends to grow traffic on the route to about 80 per cent load factor in the next six months.”
Odusi said round 2012 when RwandAir started operations in Nigeria, “it has continued to consolidate from its hub in Kigali to Dubai, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Entebbe, Dar es Salaam, Accra, London, Brussels and other routes on its network.”
She said the Abuja-Kigali service “will open vistas of opportunities for passengers who want to connect many parts of the world by leveraging on our on-time performance, IOSA safety record, international certification, excellent in-flight entertainment, customer service, competitive fares and other comparative advantages.”
Odusi expressed appreciation to the minister of state for aviation, Senator, Senator Hadi Sirika, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for making the inaugural flight a success.
Also speaking at the event, Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Stanislas Kamanzi said the extension of flight service between Abuja and Kigali will boost trade relations between the two countries.
“The Abuja-Kigali service will now provide seamless travel window for diplomats and government officials, investors and private sector players who want to explore opportunities for trade, commerce and other bilateral activities,” he said.
In his remarks, FAAN’s international terminal manager, Abuja Airport, Ms. Hajara Musa assured that the authority will assist RwandAir in every area that would make its operations smooth.
She said FAAN will continue to provide the necessary facilities that will make the airline have seamless flights out of Abuja Airport as it does for all airlines.
The terminal manager added that FAAN will ensure its partnership with RwandAir is a win-win for travelers.
