This week: Tributes paid to Southwest Airlines founder; Qatar Airways takes stake in China Southern; Neeleman’s latest venture firms up A220 order; VINCI Airports to make £2.9bn Gatwick investment and more.
South African Airways, SunExpress and Wizz Air are now planning their meeting diaries for Routes Africa. Airports and tourism authorities should submit requests at the earliest available opportunity to maximise the chances of securing their priority meetings.
Rwanda has signed bilateral air service agreements with Ghana, Angola and Togo as part of efforts to further liberalise commercial flights and strengthen economic ties.
Rwanda, a small landlocked country in east-central Africa, has put its troubled past behind it and is now looking to enhance transport links in the region, helped by its national carrier, RwandAir.
The East African carrier recently introduced its first widebodied jet, an A330-200, into its fleet and a larger A330-300 is due to arrive to complement this. The aircraft will be used to launch flights into London from January 2017, serving Gatwick Airport in the UK capital.
Rwanda’s national carrier says it will deploy its new A330s on medium-haul and long-haul routes from its home base at Kigali International Airport to destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The aircraft will be configured in a three-class arrangement seating with 261 (A330-200) and 300 (A330-300) passengers and will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 772B engines.
Uganda’s ‘adopted’ airline planned to launch its Entebbe – Nairobi route on January 10, 2015 after it was granted 5th freedom rights by the Uganda CAA. However, delays securing slots at Jomo Kanyatta International Airport in Kenya's capital has delayed the launch.
