Rwand Air has expanded its operations in Nigeria by inaugurating its maiden flight into the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The flight, a Boeing 737-700 aircraft from Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, landed at 1:25pm at Abuja airport Friday with 30 passengers onboard.
Rwand Air would be operating a four times weekly flight to and from Abuja, on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, unlike Lagos where it operates daily flights.
Miss Ibiyemi Odusi, the airline’s Country Manager, Nigeria, said the decision to fly into Abuja direct from Kigali is to give the diplomatic community and government officials the opportunity to experience direct flights to Kigali and other parts of the world through the destination.
“We have been in Nigeria since 2012 but this is significant for us because it is something that has been on our minds before now but we have made it happen,” she said.
“This is because most people won’t have the luxury of going through Lagos but effective today, they can fly seamlessly without having to go to Lagos,” she said.
“As an airline, we know that this is the political capital of the country and as Nigeria is expanding we have to be part of what it is doing,” she further noted.
Odusi said Rwand Air’s unique selling point would stand it out, such as its safety record and on-time performance.
The Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Stanislas Kamanzi, commended the Federal Government, aviation agencies and management of Rwand Air in Nigeria for making it possible for the opening of the Abuja route.
Kamanzi said the new route was a product of the long-standing friendship between Nigeria and Rwanda, adding that the Abuja-Kigali route would deepen trade relationship between the two countries.
“We look forward to growing trade and diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Rwanda as well between East and West Africa,” he said