08.03.2023 - 08:23 UTC
RwandAir (WB, Kigali) plans to homogenise its current diversified fleet by adding more B737s and A330s, and is considering phasing out its Bombardier Aerospace regional jets and possibly De Havilland Aircraft of Canada turboprops, says Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Manzi Makolo. The airline operates two CRJ900ERs and two DHC-8-Q400s.
"We have a very diversified fleet but want to rationalise it. We are looking at expanding the B737 fleet and the A330 fleet. We are working on phasing out the CRJs and are discussing regional aircraft, the Q400s as well, whether to continue with that or to look for alternatives," she said on an Aviadev Africa podcast on March 1, 2023.
Meanwhile, RwandAir hopes to take delivery this week of an ex-Avianca Airlines A330-200 on lease from Merx Aviation Finance. EI-HJJ (msn 1224) - to be reregistered in Rwanda as 9XR-WX - is currently in maintenance at Châteauroux, France, according to Flightradar24 ADS-data. It is likely to be used to boost capacity on Rwandair's London Heathrow,...
27.01.2023 - 11:18 UTC
Failure by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) to address the outdated International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) certification status of Entebbe/Kampala airport is being blamed for delaying Uganda Airlines (UR, Entebbe/Kampala) plans to serve the United Kingdom.
According to documents unearthed by Kampala-based tabloid ChimpReports, the UCAA has been trying to update the airport’s certification since its last ICAO inspection in 2014. Still, poor management and failure to conform to standards in critical areas like accident investigations, operations, safety and security continue to bedevil efforts. A UCAA certification committee headed by current airport boss, Fred Bamwesigye, reportedly spent billions of taxpayers’ money on benchmarking in several countries. However, years later, the standards have still not been met.
Entebbe’s outdated certification status meant Uganda Airlines could not fly from there to London Heathrow, despite having secured slots after receiving its two A330-800Ns in December 2020 and February 2021, respectively. Failure to launch the route negatively affected the airline’s bottom line.
According to ChimpReports, during the 2014 ICAO audit, the airport scored 61.6%...
15.12.2022 - 00:02 UTC
Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa) wants to almost double its fleet over the next 12 years and expand its global network to better compete with Gulf rivals between Asia, the Americas, and Europe, according to Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew.
He told Bloomberg News that the state-owned carrier plans to grow its fleet to more than 270 aircraft by 2035 versus 140 now, to cover 200 airports worldwide. If successful, this new growth strategy could generate annual sales of USD25 billion from passenger and freight operations, up fivefold on 2021 sales. Revenues are expected to grow by 20% in the coming fiscal year ending in June 2023 from USD4.8 billion in 2021, with a profit target of USD600 million based on rising passenger numbers.
Ethiopian Airlines is to looking to compete with Qatar Airways and Emirates, which are themselves growing in Africa. Alongside Emirates and Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways controls a significant chunk of the African long-haul market via its hub at Doha Hamad International. The airline is eyeing closer...
28.11.2022 - 12:07 UTC
RwandAir (WB, Kigali) has taken delivery of its first dedicated freighter - a 15.6-year-old converted B737-800(SF), the airline announced.
9XR-WW (msn 35131) was ferried from Reykjavik Keflavik in Iceland via Athens in Greece on November 23 and arrived in Kigali on November 24, according to the Flightradar24 ADS-B data. Already painted in RwandAir cargo livery, it underwent test flights in Kelowna, Canada, before being delivered to the central African country.
RwandAir, in a statement, said the freighter would allow it to further expand its growing cargo operation under the RwandAir Cargo (WB, Kigali) brand.
Based in Kigali, the freighter will be deployed to key destinations in Africa and the Middle East, including Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (South Africa), Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), and the United Arab Emirates, the airline said.
“The delivery of our dedicated cargo aircraft is a huge milestone in RwandAir’s fleet expansion plans. Cargo is of ever-increasing importance for the aviation industry, and as a landlocked country, we recognise the importance...
