MEDIA RELEASE
Carrier
withdraws the two CRJ-200s from fleet with immediate effect
Kigali: RwandAir has formally announced
its plans to replace the two 50 Seater CRJ200s with brand new regional jets. This
announcement comes after the airline reached an agreement with a buyer for the two
aircraft it purchased in 2009 at the start of its fleet acquisition process.
In a statement to the press RwandAir CEO John Mirenge confirmed
that the airline has had plans to sell the CRJs and replace them with brand new
larger capacity regional jets. “The two 50 seater CRJs were our first purchased
aircraft from Lufthansa Cityline and they have served us very well especially
in the three hour radius of Kigali flights. We have however seen the regional
market grow and we feel this market and the demand it presents will be better
served by an aircraft with between 70 – 110 seating capacity,” he said. Mr
Mirenge further added that the airline is actively engaging suppliers of
regional jet aircraft for at least two jets to be delivered by mid 2012. “Having
found a ready buyer, it was imperative that we immediately strike the deal and
remove the equipment from our fleet. Effectively, we have also made adjustments
on our schedule to proportionately accommodate our operations to match the
equipment we are left with until the new regional jets are delivered”, he
added.
All flights will now be operated on Boeing aircraft
except destinations served by the Dash8-100 until the delivery of the regional
jets. Flights to Lagos, Dubai, Johannesburg, Libreville and Brazzaville will
operate without any changes in frequencies, however flights to Nairobi will now
be operated twice a day instead of three while Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam
will now be served with four frequencies a week as opposed to five. Entebbe
meanwhile has received a major boost with up to 19 frequencies a week. The
airline has also effected a fifth freedom operation between Bujumbura and
Nairobi.
RwandAir’s
fleet is now made up of two Next Generation Boeing 737- 800, two Boeing 737-
500, and a Dash8-100. The national carrier expects to replace the CRJ-200s with
brand new aircraft by June 2012.