RwandAir Offers 15 Percent Discount to African Union Summit Delegates

RwandAir has offered a 15 per cent discount to delegates attending the 27th African Union Summit in Kigali due next month.



The discount, according to Patrick Manzi, senior manager in-charge of promotions and development, is designed to facilitate delegates with most convenient and safest means of travel.

However, to enjoy the discount, Manzi said, delegates will be required to prove that their travel is for the conference and ensure they book and pay for their tickets by July 8.

Their travel dates must be between the July 5 and July 23, Manzi said, adding that delegates will have to present to the national carrier official letter of invitation by the African Union.

Aviation experts have applauded the move, calling it a business opportunity for the national carrier to showcase its potential.

"It is also an acid test for the airline to demonstrate its and capability to connect the continent in the most efficient and safest way," a source at Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) told The New Times.

More than 3,000 high-level delegates are expected to attend the summit, including about 50 African Heads of State and Government.

Getting the discount

Meanwhile, according to RwandAir, delegates are required to visit the nearest RwandAir office to reserve and pay for the flight before July 8.

They must also produce an official conference invitation letter and personal identification documents to help RwandAir ascertain that one is travelling for the summit.

Once cleared, RwandAir office will create a reservation and issue ticket upon receipt of the applicable fee.

"Discount will not be applicable for reservations after July 8," the airline said in a statement, adding that regular ticketing timelines will apply for delegates booking in advance.

Recently, the national carrier successfully renewed its certificate for the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for another two years to remain competitive.

IOSA programme is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

The renewal, according to Sonia Kamikazi, the airline's corporate quality assurance manager, is vital to the sustainability of RwandAir and will boost their competitiveness.

The national carrier has already signed a purchase agreement with Airbus to acquire Airbus aircraft A330-200 and A330-300.

The wide body aircraft are expected in September and November, respectively.

Aviation players are confident the acquisition of these two wide-body aircraft will significantly increase RwandAir's capacity to effectively meet growing demand and provide exceptional service for the ever-growing Asia-China and European passenger markets.

Currently, the airline flies to more than 17 destinations, including Nairobi, Entebbe, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Lusaka, Juba, Douala, Dar-es-salaam, Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg, Dubai, Lagos, Libreville and Brazzaville, among others.

(culled from allafrica.com)