Africa’s RwandAir enters freighter business with a B737-800SF

LANDLOCKED national carrier RwandAir is the latest airline on the African continent to enter the world of dedicated freighter operations,?writes Nigel Tomkins.

The passenger airline has expanded its fleet with the delivery of a B737-800SF, its first all-cargo aircraft. Painted in RwandAir’s first cargo livery, it will be based at the carrier’s Kigali hub.

The freighter will allow the Rwandan carrier to further expand its cargo activities, a business unit which has been on the rise, reveals a statement.

RwandAir will operate the new freighter to a number of key destinations in Africa and the Middle East region, including services to Johannesburg, Nairobi and the United Arab Emirates.

“The delivery of our [first] dedicated cargo aircraft is a huge milestone in RwandAir’s fleet expansion plans,” enthuses Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir’s chief executive.

“Cargo is of ever-increasing importance for the aviation industry and, as a landlocked country, we recognise the importance and value of good cargo connections,” she adds.

“We want to ensure that Africa is seamlessly connected to the world, driving economic growth and valuable trade deals.”

From its Kigali international airport hub – which is located at the heart of Africa – RwandAir is proud of its excellent customer service reputation, having recently won a Skytrax Best Airline Staff in Africa award for a second successive year.

RwandAir operates passenger services to a range of destinations throughout east, central, west and southern Africa, as well as to the Middle East, Europe and Asia, the statement points out.