RwandAir is Rwanda’s flag carrier and an emerging hub for African travel. Qatar Airways has made a major investment in the airline. It focuses primarily on connecting cities across sub-Saharan Africa, with a handful of long-haul routes to Europe and the Middle East. Under its current leadership, the carrier has ambitious expansion plans.
The airline’s building its hub in Kigali to offer more direct connections around the continent. A new international airport at Bugesera will eventually replace the current facility. For now, here’s what to expect when flying RwandAir.
Route network
RwandAir’s long-haul network includes Brussels, Doha, Dubai, London, and Paris. The bulk of its route map centres on sub-Saharan Africa, including cities such as Accra, Douala, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, and others.
The challenge is frequency. Limited flights from Kigali to each city mean connections between African destinations can take several days, making it easier to route through the Middle East or Europe instead. The airline’s priority is adding more daily frequencies to carry more connecting passengers, but this goal is constrained by its small fleet and current airport capacity.
With road and rail links in Africa that aren’t the best, airlines are a crucial part of connectivity when getting around the continent. The airline’s CEO says she’s working to add more African destinations. The airline’s growth would also fuel more tourism for Rwanda.
The airline already operates as a key hub in the region, with over 60% of its passengers connecting between flights. The plan is to grow that number when the new airport opens. With Kigali’s central position in Africa, becoming a hub for the continent makes a lot of sense.
A modern fleet
RwandAir operates just 12 aircraft. Two widebody Airbus A330s handle long-haul routes, whilst Boeing 737s fly sectors up to six hours (which can feel cramped on longer journeys). Regional aircraft serve domestic flights and nearby destinations.
The airline plans to expand its fleet from 16 to 21 aircraft over the next few years, with passenger numbers expected to more than double to 2.1 million, which will support the carrier’s growth ambitions once the new hub airport opens.
I love the large entertainment screens in all cabins. The A330 planes used to have premium economy class, but the sale of this product has been phased out, although the seats remain on the plane. I recommend asking at check-in if you can move to one of those seats (although they may charge a fee). These seats are in a 2-3-2 layout with more recline and leg room.
Economy class is in a more dense 2-4-2 configuration. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I recommend selecting one of the last rows because the plane narrows slightly towards the back. This means the seats go to a 2-3-2 layout, and they tend to have more space.
Boeing 737s have a 2-2 layout in business class, and while that’s fine on short trips, it can feel cramped on longer journeys. Economy is in a 3-3 setup. Also, these planes don’t have personal entertainment screens in economy—there’s an overhead main screen system instead—so go old school and bring your own device. I like the CRJ-900s, which have seven business class seats and 68 economy class seats with a 2-2 layout in economy (no middle seats).
The B737-800s feature seatback screens in business class, but the B737-700s don’t. Like the A330s, the 737-800s also have paid Wi-Fi available.
Business class
RwandAir’s business class features lie-flat seats on A330s (in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration) and recliner-style seats on 737s. The airline staff delivers notably friendly service, and meals are plentiful and tasty, though not extravagant. An open bar is available on all international flights.
One quirk: meal service on longer flights comes at the beginning and middle of the journey rather than beginning and end. This timing, common among African airlines trying to match destination time zones, can disrupt rest. Ask the crew about meal timing in advance so you can plan rest accordingly.
Passengers either walk or take a bus to the aircraft, and the airline usually transfers business class passengers using a private bus.
Economy class
Economy class on RwandAir offers complimentary food and drink on both short and long-haul flights, including meals with a choice of hot or cold beverages. Non-alcoholic drinks only (no complimentary alcohol). Seats come with a pillow and blanket, though legroom is tight.
On A330s, economy uses a dense 2-4-2 configuration, but the last rows narrow to 2-3-2 and they tend to have more space. Boeing 737s have a standard 3-3 layout with no personal seatback entertainment (there’s an overhead main screen system instead), so bring your own device. The CRJ-900 regional aircraft offer a comfortable layout with no middle seats.
Seat assignments
RwandAir charges for advance seat selection in economy class, though passengers who don’t purchase seats in advance may choose free seats at online check-in or at the airport, subject to availability. Here’s the catch: fees apply per flight segment, not for your entire itinerary. If you’re connecting through Kigali, you’ll pay twice.
Separate fees apply for extra legroom seats, exit rows and preferred seats. Like most airlines these days, RwandAir has embraced the pay-for-everything model.
Loyalty program
Dream Miles, RwandAir’s frequent flyer programme, awards miles based on the distance flown and your booking class. You can redeem miles for award tickets or upgrades, and families can pool miles together to reach awards faster (a feature I particularly appreciate).
Elite status comes with the usual perks: Diamond tier includes 100% bonus miles, an additional 32 kg checked baggage allowance, business class lounge access (plus one guest), priority check-in and baggage tagging, top priority on the wait-list, and one free upgrade to business class per year.
The real value is the Qatar Airways partnership. Members can earn and redeem miles on either carrier, and I choose to credit my RwandAir flights to Qatar because its programme offers more redemption opportunities.
Stopover program
For passengers that have a long or overnight connection, the airline has a dedicated stopover programme to make the transit more comfortable. It includes hotel accommodation and airport transfers.
To be eligible, RwandAir must issue the ticket, and economy class passengers need a minimum transit time of six hours (four hours for business class) without an onward connecting flight. Economy class passengers can receive a maximum of one complimentary hotel night if they meet minimum qualifying fare requirements ($800 net for a return trip or $450 net for a one-way trip).
Business class passengers also receive a maximum of one complimentary night. Alternatively, a stopover package is available for $100 per person per night, which includes single-occupancy hotel accommodation (bed and breakfast) and airport transfers.
Another key rule is that you must be travelling between two international destinations via Kigali in both directions of your trip to be eligible (the offer doesn’t apply to domestic tickets with international connections). If you require a visa to enter Rwanda, you would have to sort that out, too.
Airport constraints
While the airline has undergone a growth spurt, part of it’s been hindered by its existing airport in the Rwandan capital of Kigali. The small facility has limited space and only a few shops and eateries. Its single runway and lack of jet bridges are also hurdles for the airline’s ambitions.
The runway is located on a small hill, which constrains the ability to extend or upgrade it. This is one of the highest airports in the world, which limits the capability of flight operations.
A new international airport at Bugesera, with Qatar Airways holding a 60% stake in the project, will replace this facility and feature a modern terminal designed to handle about 7 million passengers per year in its initial phase, with a second phase expected to reach 14 million. This will be the catalyst for the airline’s further growth.
When the new facility opens, RwandAir plans to add more flight connection options to make it easier to fly around the continent. At present, many travellers have to take out-of-the-way itineraries to reach nearby African destinations, often via the Middle East or even Europe, because there isn’t enough capacity to handle the demand.
Once I flew from Bamako, Mali to Antananarivo, Madagascar via Paris because there were no easier routes to get me there in a short period. This type of diversion is something that RwandAir hopes to improve as it grows.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
