RwandAir, the national carrier of Rwanda, has launched direct flights from her operating hub in Kigali to Lagos the commercial hub of Nigeria and West Africa.
Lagos becomes the 13th destination to join the airlines rapidly growing network and the fourth new destination this year after domestic Gisenyi, Brazzaville – Congo and Libreville – Gabon.
The three weekly flights will depart from Kigali at 0830HRS (Local Time) and arrive in Lagos at 1140HRS (Local Time). The return flights depart from Lagos at 1330HRS (Local Time) to reach Kigali at 1840HRS (Local Time).
In a statement to the press RwandAir CEO John Mirenge confirmed the airlines commitment and plans to continue exploring the westward network expansion drive. “At the beginning of the year, we made a commitment to expand our network with a focus on Central and West Africa. Lagos for us is an exciting addition to our network and we know the destination will have very positive contributions to the already existing network. We are pleased to make this our first West African destination,” he said.
Mr Mirenge further added that the Nigerian Aviation Authorities had been very cooperative and responsive to the RwandAir request to fly to Lagos.
“From the time we declared our intentions to fly to Lagos, the Nigerian government and aviation authorities have been very swift and quick in welcoming us”, he added.
Lagos flights come close in the wake of major frequency additions on the airline’s schedule notably; Dubai flights, which have been stepped up from three to six frequencies a week. The new “Dubai Direct” frequencies operate on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday giving a perfect connection to passengers from Lagos to Dubai.
Other notable changes on the airline’s schedule include the Kigali – Brazzaville, which will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with 0800HRS (Local Time) from Kigali.
Lagos remains the most populous city in Nigeria, the largest country in Africa. The metropolitan area, an estimated 300 square kilometers, is a group of islands endowed with creeks and a lagoon.
It is the commercial and industrial hub of Nigeria, with a GNP triple that of any other West African country.
