RwandAir today proudly announced the delivery of its third Airbus A330. The airline is determined to utilize its widebody fleet to expand long-haul services across its network.
It’s been a while
It has been nearly six years since RwandAir last took delivery of an A330. The first unit to arrive was an A330-200 in the form of registration 9XR-WN. Nicknamed Ubumwe, the aircraft joined the fleet in September 2016. Two months later, an A330-300, with registration 9XR-WP and nickname Umurage, was delivered.
Now, 9XR-WX has joined the fold. According to Planespotters.net, this unit was produced with serial number 1224 and was first delivered to Avianca in May 2011, flying with registration N975AV. Merx Aviation, an aircraft leasing, management, and finance outfit, held the plane since March last year.
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Greater connectivity
It’s not a surprise that RwandAir has taken on another long-haul aircraft. There are plenty of prospects for the carrier to maximize international operations across the globe.
It was only in November that the airline conducted its first nonstop flight from Kigali International Airport to London Heathrow. The service previously saw a stopover in Brussels. The carrier also has a presence in numerous other European nations, including Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The additional A330 offers further opportunities throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Subsequently, there may be new routes that follow the initiative.
RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo shared the following about the new fleet member in a company statement.
“We are excited to be expanding our fleet further with the addition of our third long-haul aircraft. Its addition will allow us to continue our route expansion and offer customers even more connections.”
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The fleet mix
The A330-200 is fitted with 30 seats in business class and 222 seats in economy. The existing -200 in the fleet has been busy on the London route all week, so we can expect the new arrival to help diversify operations. Over the last week, the -300 had been spotted in Brussels, Dubai, Lagos, and Juba.
Even though the airline plans to make Kigali a central hub to boost regional potential, it is considering phasing out some short-haul models in favor of widebodies.
According to ch-aviation.com, the A330s are accompanied by a Boeing 737-700, four 737-800s, a 737-800SF, two CRJ900ERs, and a pair of Q400s. Thus, regardless of the future approach, RwandAir has the tools to cater to passenger and cargo demand in this recovery period.
What are your thoughts about RwandAir taking on another Airbus A330? What do you make of the overall plans of the airline? Let us know what you think of the carrier’s fleet in the comment section.
Sources: Planespotters.net; ch-aviation.com