Before the end of October the national carrier RwandAir will have two 737-800 Boeing carriers at a cost of US$ 85 million.
The new acquisition aims at strengthening RwandAir’s performance on long distance routes, while small airplanes would be used to strengthen regional routes; South Sudan’s Juba , Zambia’s Lusaka and Zimbabwe’s Harare.
The RwandAir Chief Executive Officer John Mirenge noted that the purchase of the two bigger airplanes were timely given the 20% growth of its clients every month.
The national carrier has been able to purchase two Boeings through US$ 85 million a loan from the Eastern and South African Trade and Development Bank (PTA bank) today the latter disbursed the remaining US$60 million.
Signing the loan on behalf of the government the minister of Finance and Economic Planning John Rwangombwa noted that a lot of efforts were inserted to improve the national carrier since it promotes economic growth.
Michael Gondwe the PTA president noted that the bank has been influential in the fleet acquisition process for RwandAir since the carrier announced its plans towards an owned fleet in 2009 with the purchase of two small planes CRJ200 and also in making the pre-delivery payments towards the soon to arrive two Boeing planes.
“This is the third time in many years that I’m coming to Kigali to conclude an agreement for the purchase of air craft’s, and this is a proof that RwandAir is growing rapidly in line with the country’s noble vision of making Rwanda an aviation hub for the rest of the continent,” he remarked.
Over the last decade, a total of over US$ 150 million, inclusive of the airplanes , has been made available for the project and trade financing activities.
“We have financed projects in tourism, aviation, transport and agri-business and real estate amongst others,” he remarked.
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