RwandAir has announced its plans to almost double the number of flights that it operates between Kigali and London, increasing from four flights a week to a daily rotation. The new schedule will come into operation at the end of October, with the carrier keen to capitalize on extra demand while growing its European footprint.
Daily overnight flights
The services in both directions will operate overnight, with the outbound service departing RwandAir’s Kigali International Airport (KGL) base at 23:35 local time as flight number WB710. This flight will touch down at London Heathrow (LHR) at 06:20 the following morning, after a block time of eight hours and 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, after spending just over 14 hours on the ground, the aircraft will depart London Heathrow as flight number WB711 at 20:30 local time. The return leg is scheduled to be 15 minutes shorter, with its arrival at Kigali International scheduled eight hours and 30 minutes later, at 07:00 local time the following morning.
RwandAir will operate these new daily flights, which commence on October 29th this year, with Airbus A330 aircraft. According to a statement released by the Rwandan flag carrier, these have 30 business class and 244 economy class seats onboard, with the former of these cabins offering passengers lie-flat comfort.
Sub-£600 returns
Perhaps unsurprisingly, RwandAir is the only carrier operating direct flights on the aerial corridor between Kigali and London. Despite this monopoly, passengers will be able to buy return tickets for less than £600, with the airline noting that these “start from £587 [$755] in economy class and £2,199 [$2,827] in business class, including all taxes and charges.” RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo stated that: “London is an incredibly important market for RwandAir, so we are incredibly excited to be adding direct daily flights from our home in Kigali to London Heathrow. We know these new daily direct flights will offer customers the convenience and connectivity which they have long asked for, and look forward to welcoming more visitors to Rwanda.”
RwandAir is mainly targeting point-to-point traffic with these flights, noting that they will be ideal “for those looking to see mountain gorillas, experience Rwanda’s majestic scenery or go on a safari in Akagera National Park.” However, the airline has also identified the potential for them to accommodate connecting traffic, and adds that passengers from the UK can transfer to a myriad of destinations via Kigali.
RwandAir has served London for more than six years
It has now been over six years since RwandAir first flew to the British capital, with flights from Kigali to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) via Brussels having commenced in May 2017. Three years later, the success of the route prompted the carrier to switch from Gatwick to Heathrow, and, late last year, the flights became non-stop.
Source: Simpleflying
