Rwandair - Targeting to carry more than 1.1 Million passengers this year

Last year, Rwandair carried more than 900,000 passengers and this year the Airline is looking to hit a target of 1.1 Million.

The National Carrier is also looking to increase its destinations to 31, up from 26 before the year is out.

The Airline now has 12 Aircraft and wants to double that in the next 5 years and Economic Experts say its rapid expansion should provide opportunities for the local business community, but that good quality products are key if those opportunities are to be properly exploited.

During the 2017 - 2018 Fiscal Year, Rwandair's Cargo increased by 60%; from 8 to 13 tons and during this Fiscal year the objective is to further increase it by between 25 and 30%.

The Business Community says this opportunity will not pass it by.

"It is a plane we promised for a  long time ago,  that it’s going to flighty,  and after a  year flighty  to  Gwanzu.  It is a profit to the traders, and  I had already booked a ticket for the first flighty.  The  Number of passengers will be 10 times from 30 passengers.  So this means a lot," Hassan Nsengiyumva - Kigali Businessman

"Rwandans had started  flighty to china for one day instead of being 3 days  and exchanging different planes within the same flighty.  So I tell the Traders  and  other people  whose doing business,  to take this Rwandair flighty  as an opportunities for development,  because it is  the development for Rwandair,  to the entrepreneurs  and country as well," Minu - Head of Minu Tours & Travels

Economic Experts say Rwandair should not be judged solely by its revenue, but also the effect it has on the Rwandan Economy as a whole.

The Government's Net Lending or the money channeled towards Economic activities during this Fiscal Year is to hit 190 Billion Frw or 8% of the entire National Budget, that's up from 178 Billion Frw in 2017 - 2018.