SAA Adds Kigali and Bujumbura to Growing African Network

South African Airways has this week inaugurated a three times weekly service between Johannesburg and Kigali in Rwanda and Bujumbura in Burundi as part of its strategy to develop its activities across the African continent. The route started on January 17, 2012 and will help facilitate additional trade between South Africa and the Great Lakes region of Central and Eastern Africa, also increasing intra-regional connectivity.

“SAA is focused on strengthening its intra-Africa network in line with its Africa Expansion strategy. Adding even more destinations to our already extensive Africa route network gives our customers more travel options to exciting destinations that were previously difficult to reach by air,” said Theunis Potgieter, General Manager Commercial, South African Airways.

In addition to being the capital city of Rwanda, Kigali is also its economic, cultural and tourist transit hub. Bujumbura is Burundi’s capital and largest city and is close to the country’s main port, shipping coffee as its primary export. The new shared service is being flown by an Airbus A319 configured in a two-class arrangement with 120 seats.