Rwandair Express

Infobox Airline
airline = Rwandair Express

logo_size =
fleet_size =
destinations =
IATA = WB
ICAO = RWD
callsign = RWANDAIR
parent =
company_slogan =
founded = 2002
headquarters = Kigali, Rwanda
key_people = Manzi Kaihura (CEO)
hubs = Kigali International Airport
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance =
website = http://www.rwandair.com

Rwandair Express is an airline based in Kigali, Rwanda. It is the national carrier operating services to southern and East Africa. Its main base is Kigali International Airport.Flight International 12-18 April 2005] The airline operates solely using aircraft sub chartered or leased from other carriers.

History

Rwandair Express was established in 2003 as a joint venture between the Rwandan Government (77%) and Silverback Cargo Freighters (23%). It started operations on 27 April 2003. It initially leased a Boeing 737-500 from the Danish airline Maersk Air. The Boeing 737 was returned to Maersk Air in May 2004. This was replaced by a leased McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (3D-MDJ) from JetAfrica in June, 2004. However, while on a service to the Netherlands for Acvila Air (Romania), the aircraft was grounded. The grounding was due to old navigation maps and multiple technical proplems resulting in Acvila Air and JetAfrica being banned from Dutch airspace. Rwandair Express has replaced the aircraft with MD-82 (YR-MDL) leased from Acvila Air. In 2006, Rwandair leased Bombardier Dash 8-200Q from the Ethiopian Airline Trans Nation Airways (TNA).In April 2007 Rwandair Express leased a Boeing 737-500 from Air Malawi. This aircraft operates between Kigali & Nairobi and Kigali & Johannesburg.

Rwandair is compliant with international regulations unlike many African airlinesFact|date=October 2007. It is a registered IATA member, and has passed the IATA Operational Quality Standards (OQS) audit. It has interline agreements with various international carriers, who can issue Rwandair Express flights on their tickets.

Rwandair Express is in a code share agreement with Kenya Airways on the Nairobi route and South African Airways on the Johannesburg route.

Destinations

*Nairobi
*Johannesburg
*Bujumbura
*Entebbe
*Cyangugu (Kamembe Airport)

Fleet

Rwandair Express does not own it's aircraft, the following aircraft are operate for the airline:

*1 Boeing 737-500 (Wet Lease - Air Malawi)
*1 McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (Wet Lease - Acvila Air)
*1 De Havilland Canada DHC-8 (Wet Lease - TransNation)

The aircraft no longer have strictly designated routes and are assigned according to demand.

References

External links

* [http://www.rwandair.com/ Rwandair Express]