RwandAir shifts focus to eastern and southern Africa over regional airspace restrictions
RwandAir is redirecting its strategic focus toward Eastern and Southern Africa as part of efforts to expand its footprint and adjust to regional geopolitical tensions.
The shift was confirmed by the airline’s CEO, Yvonne Makolo, during the 13th Aviation Stakeholders Convention and the 2nd African Aviation Safety and Operations Summit in Kigali, the New Times reports.
Makolo revealed that the move is partly a response to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) decision to ban all Rwandan aircraft from its airspace, a restriction that has disrupted operations and forced the suspension of routes including Brazzaville, Abuja, and Cotonou.
“Unfortunately, we had to suspend some routes because the flight time became a bit long,” said Makolo. “Until the issue is resolved, we want to focus more on the eastern and southern routes.”
As part of the revised strategy, RwandAir plans to launch direct flights to Mombasa and Zanzibar.
Makolo acknowledged that intra-African travel remains expensive, citing high fuel prices, airport charges, taxes, and overflight fees as contributing factors. “We are talking to airports and governments for some of the things that are out of our control,” she said. On its part, the airline is working to reduce costs by streamlining its fleet and improving fuel efficiency.
She, however, stressed the role of technology in improving passenger services but noted that investments are needed to make significant progress. While parts of the booking and check-in process have been automated, she said more enhancements are planned, including upgrades to the airline’s call centre.
RwandAir also plans to double its fleet size over the next five years from the current 14 aircraft as part of its strategy to sustain revenue growth.
The airline currently operates 107 destinations, including those served through codeshare agreements.
