RwandAir has been nominated for the Uganda Tourism Excellence Awards 2017 in the Best Airline category. The national career is competing for the accolade with Ethiopian Airlines. This annual event is designed to promote and reward excellence in the tourism industry to help preserve standards in the sector.

The awards also celebrate the achievements of the tourism industry, recognising hard work and dedication exhibited by individuals and companies that have led to the tremendous growth of the tourism industry over the years, organisers said in a statement.

Commenting on the nomination, John Mirenge, the RwandAir boss, said the nomination is a "reflection of the excellent services the airline offers to its passengers” and its contribution to the development of tourism across the region.

"We, therefore, welcome the nomination and pledge to continue being an airline with best quality service geared at further developing the region,” Mirenge told The New Times yesterday.

The airline last week inked a partnership deal with European firm, Wirecard Group, allowing passengers to book and pay for flights online.

Last year, RwandAir received East Africa’s first wide-bodied brand new Airbus A330s in a triple class configuration and Africa’s first Boeing 737-800NG equipped with in-flight connectivity on a line-fit programme. RwandAir starts flights to Harare, Zimbabwe and Mumbai in India on April 1 and 3, respectively.

The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certified airline also plans to start flights to Gatwick, London’s second-busiest airport, and to the US this year as part of its strategy to serve more global markets.

Presently, the airline operates 19 destinations, including Nairobi, Entebbe, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Lusaka, Juba, Douala, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Cotonou, Johannesburg, Dubai, Lagos, Libreville and Brazzaville.

To vote for RwandAir log on to: http://www.visituganda.com/awards/; go to the voting page, tap on a category and choose one option. Voting ends on February 14.