National carrier RwandAir will commence direct flights to Tel Aviv - Israel’s economic and technology hub – on June 25th, the airline has announced.

This will be the airline’s 29th destination and second destination in the Middle East, after United Arab Emirates.

RwandAir will fly to Tel Aviv three times a week from Kigali.

The new route will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays by a Boeing 737-800NG offering 16 seats in business class and 138 seats in economy class, according to the carrier.

The airline’s officials say that the development will among things strengthen ties between the two friendly nations as well as boost business.

Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir’s Chief Executive said that adding Tel Aviv to their network is part of the carrier’s long term plan to link Rwanda to the rest of the world.

"Tel Aviv is one of the world’s leading tech hubs and we look forward to flying business travelers as well as pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, to and from our network on this new route.

It will also be a great opportunity to ease travel and strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries.”

The route is further expected to be relevant as it will also connect regional travelers to the Middle Eastern country.

According to the airline, tickets are now available for sale through RwandAir website, sales offices and travel agencies.

RwandAir has been in recent years expanding to new destinations as it seeks to reach previously unserved markets, which has had multiple impacts including boosting hospitality sector performance.

In April, the airline launched flights to DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com