London Gatwick celebrates arrival of first RwandAir flight

London Gatwick welcomed the touchdown of the first direct flight between Rwanda and the UK on May 26 with a water arch as the aircraft taxied to the gate at the airport's North Terminal.
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The arrival of the aircraft was attended by the UK High Commissioner of Rwanda, H.E. Yamina Karitanyi; the Deputy CEO of RwandAir, Yvonne Makolo; and Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations, Gatwick Airport.

The route is served by a new Airbus A330-200 offering travellers Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class travel.

Yvonne Makolo, Deputy CEO of RwandAir, said: “We are very proud to launch this important direct flight between the UK and Rwanda. British travellers are among the top five nationalities to visit Rwanda and this service will allow even easier access to the many natural wonders and unique experiences available throughout our beautiful country. This new route will also improve already strong trade links between the UK and Rwanda creating new long-lasting business opportunities.”

Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations, Gatwick Airport, said: “I am delighted to welcome RwandAir to Gatwick and look forward to what I am sure will be a very popular service. Rwanda is rapidly becoming a top leisure destination for those looking to experience the adventure of a lifetime in the Heart of Africa, while business passengers can use the new service to forge stronger links between our two countries.

“This exciting new route demonstrates just how far Gatwick’s long haul network has grown in recent years. We now offer well over 50 long haul routes across the globe – a claim few other international airports can make.”