RwandAir & Rwandan Aviation News 2025

[sn26567]

RwandAir in 2020
RwandAir & Rwandan Aviation News 2021
RwandAir & Rwandan Aviation News 2022
RwandAir & Rwandan Aviation News 2023
RwandAir & Rwandan Aviation News 2024

[rwandan-flyer]

Surprising information, SalamAir CEO announces the opening of a route to Kigali, i guess from Muscat (no date however https://www.timesaerospace.aero/sites/a ... ssue-4.pdf (p12)). To be honest I doubt that's this route will work. At least OmanAir (which had the project to launch flights to Kigali) would have surprised me less with its hub and its network in Europe. But SalamAir.

I took the 7 largest point to point markets for Kigali (excluding Paris and London "served" by SalamAir with code share with OmanAir). 64,328 pax (from Nov 23 to Oct 24)). But Ethiopian with its 3 flights per day taps into these markets.

Dubai: 33,581 pax
Mumbai: 7,390 pax
Istanbul: 6,890 pax
Doha: 5,347 pax
Cairo: 5,211 pax
Delhi: 3,480 pax
Muscat: 2,429 pax

If we add London Heathrow and Paris CDG via OmanAir: 35,503 pax for point-to-point with Kigali

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Air transport data in Rwanda. Note that only Kamembe (domestic) and Kigali (domestic and international) receive regular commercial traffic. Rwanda has recovered its pre-covid 2019 traffic: 1,166,304 pax in 2024 vs 1,145,867 pax in 2019. I wanted to post the data last week, but the report was withdrawn (there were major layout issues)

(p93) https://www.statistics.gov.rw/publicati ... -book-2024

[rwandan-flyer]

It was to be expected. Following the derotation of relations between the DR Congo and Rwanda concerning the conflict in the east of the DRC. The M23 group supported by Rwanda. The DR Congo closes its airspace to any aircraft registered in Rwanda.

A big headache to come for the ops at RwandAir. For flights to Europe there is always the possibility of flying over Uganda, South Sudan, Central Africa or going through the Red Sea (longer). For South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, it is possible to fly over Tanzania.

The big problem will be for flights to West and Central Africa. The company will have to make a big detour to serve Brazzaville and Libreville. For Bangui, Lagos, Douala, Accra and Abuja, there will be detours but less restrictive than for BZV and LBV.

The ban fell last night. The flight to London had to make a fuel stop in Entebbe because the new routing (flying over the Red Sea) required more fuel.

RwandAir is already not making a profit, so it's clear that it will impact the airline finance if this situation will be not fixed.

How the Rwandan authorities will react. Even if the last summit a new roadmap was able to put in place , Rwanda also seems not to want to give up, regardless of the consequences. Always this Rwandan patriotism (us vs. the West, etc.) which is very popular among part of the diaspora and intellectuals, or businessmen and women who tweet dozens of times a day.

No reaction from the Rwandan side. Only a small local radio station talks about it.

UMWEZI 95.3 FM
@umwezifm
The Congolese Press Agency (http://ACP.CD) announced that the Kinshasa government has closed its airspace to all Rwandan flights.
Neither the Rwandan government nor Rwandair have commented on the #RDC decision to close its airspace to Rwandan flights.https://x.com/umwezifm/status/1889547512991662435

Johannesburg Kigali https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... q#3918d1c6
CDG Kigali: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... p#39181b6f
London Kigali: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... x#3918391c
Kigali London: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/airc ... n#391853dc

Kigali Libreville: the plane flies through South Sudan : https://www.flightradar24.com/RWD216/39195c89

https://x.com/AssomarRDC/status/1889520 ... 90840?mx=2

[rwandan-flyer]

Due to the closure of DR Congo airspace, RwandAir flights to Abuja, Brazzaville and Cotonou are suspended from 14FEB25. Accra is reduced from 4 to 1 weekly service. Douala will be reduced from 7 to 2 flights a week. https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250213-wbfeb25af https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250213-wbfeb25af

[rwandan-flyer]

Not the best way to start to the year for RwandAir. Kagamé who repeats what we already know: the deal with Qatar Airways is coming soon

In January and February, the A330-300 was grounded for almost a month due to an engine problem. It had to be changed but deliveries times were long (consequences of covid). Most European flights left in the middle or late morning. The advantage was that the planes did not spend the whole day in London and Brussels.

Then there was the closure of DR Congo airspace for planes registered in Rwanda. RwandAir closed its lines to Cotonou and Brazzaville and reduced its flights to West Africa. The night flight to Johannesburg is suspended (only the day flight is still operated).

And now the airline is leasing an A330 LZ-TWO from Gullivair (Bulgaria). At least one flight for tomorrow to Brussels via Paris Cdg. The A330-200 9XR-WN has been grounded since March 5, 2025.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/lz-two

[ZavCity]

LZ-TWO Gullivair for Rwandair today around 10.25 via CDG

[rwandan-flyer]

LZ-TWO Gullivair for Rwandair today around 10.25 via CDG

Yes and i missed it this evening. Bad parking to spot it at T1 (Paris Cdg) and it has taken off from south runways and of course i was near the north runways

But the good news (no official statement from QR)

Qatar Airways will relaunch its route to Kigali from May 14, 2025. 4 flights per week in A320. Bookings are open.

In addition to RwandAir flights. QR had closed its line to Kigali in December 2021.

QR1389 DOH-KGL 08:20-13:30 6+10 x246
QR1390 KGL-DOH 15:50-22:50 6+00 x246

In 2012 when the company launched its flights, it was daily but via Entebbe. 4 non-stop flights per week in A320 seems to me to be a good choice. The free visa signed a few weeks ago between Qatar and Rwanda will surely also increase a little the point-to-point demand which is not huge.

[freakyboy2021]

Rwanda just announced to cut diplomatic ties with Belgium, it might affect the operation of WB and SN.

[ZavCity]

Indeed, no Rwandair tomorrow...

[rwandan-flyer]

Rwanda just announced to cut diplomatic ties with Belgium, it might affect the operation of WB and SN.

Indeed, no Rwandair tomorrow...

The Gullivair A330 left Kigali this morning to Sofia. They have only 2 A330s. The 3rd A330 is still on the ground. One is at London and will fly from London to Kigali this evening and the other one will fly from Kigali to London this evening.

They have same issue that in Jan25 and Feb25 when the A330-300 was grounded waiting for a new engine.

So for tomorrow no links with the diplomatic row.

[luchtzak]

Rwanda just announced to cut diplomatic ties with Belgium, it might affect the operation of WB and SN.

Brussels Airlines will continue to operate flights to Kigali, a spokesperson confirmed to Aviation24.be

[rwandan-flyer]

Thanks for the info. There is an average of 109 people flying every day btw Brussels and Kigali (point to point demand) and i guesst the biggest fly either with Brussels Airlines or RwandAir. Of course you have to add connecting pax.

The only thing that will force SN to cancel flights : a big drop in the demand or Rwanda revokes the license that enables to SN to serve Kigali

[rwandan-flyer]

In a RwandAir Instagram story, the president of Qatar Airways announced that the deal with RwandAir should be signed by the end of the month.

The reopening of the Doha-Kigali route in two months is probably linked. RwandAir will apparently keep its six weekly service, and Qatar will therefore operate four weekly flights. A total of 10 weekly flights between Doha and Kigali will serve the two hubs. Qatar Airways has its QR code on all RwandAir routes outside Europe and Dubai. RwandAir uses its WB code on Qatar Airways flights to the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia (these 4 markets, along with East Asia, are the most popular via Doha, according to RwandAir https://www.timesaerospace.aero/news/ro ... ts-to-doha), the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Armenia, Singapore, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Pakistan.

Many routes are duplicated with the codeshare between Turkish Airlines and RwandAir. For example, on Istanbul-Brussels or Istanbul-Dallas, there is a RwandAir flight number with Turkish. And on Doha-Brussels and Doha-Dallas, there is another RwandAir flight number, but with Qatar Airways.

It's also unclear if some codeshares will be reactivated. LATAM, Royal Air Maroc, Malaysia to name few had their code on the Kigali Doha route operated by Qatar Airways.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/direc ... _515732138

[lumumba]

I didn't know Rwandaair flies to Luanda?!