The national carrier Rwandair, yesterday introduced a 0700 hrs flight for it’s Kigali, Nairobi route, Francine Sharangabo, the Passenger Sales Manager told Business Times.

The airline previously operated two flights to Nairobi, one at 0400 hrs and another at 1150 hrs.

According to officials the carrier will be flying to the Kenyan capital Nairobi  every Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

"We want to cater for the category of our passengers who want to be in Nairobi mid-morning. The morning departure from Kigali gets you into Nairobi by 0900 hrs,” Sharangabo explained.

”I am sure this will come as a relief for passengers who were checking-in at 0200 hrs in the morning for the 0400 hrs departure, cumbersome. Our 4am frequency to Nairobi still remains and will be operated every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday”, she added.

The officials also hinted at increasing passenger numbers on the Kigali to Nairobi route as one of the key reasons for the introduction of the third flight.

"We are looking into passenger number projections and combining this with feedback from the market which seems to indicate a high preference for the 0700 hrs flight”, Rwandair management said.

Officials also revealed that, the company is yet to get an offer for the previously intended privatization process. On Wednesday the company’s CEO said that privatizing the national carrier was still under a 10 year strategic plan.

With the high season reaching its peak, Rwandair is also planning to introduce a fifth frequency to Johannesburg, South Africa every Monday beginning August 2009.

"September is not only a heritage month in Johannesburg, but it is also a shopping hotspot for the continent. We anticipate more travel into Jozi town for the shopping festival hence the 5th frequency”, said the company’s head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Michael Otieno.

"Of course advance bookings are already looking impressive, I think travelers should consider buying tickets now to avoid the last minute rush”, he added.

The carrier also has plans to fly into Johannesburg daily before the end of the year and is currently working on special offers and packages for the FIFA World Cup 2010.

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