The WAIT IS OVER. National carrier RwandAir has officially laid claim to a brand new Airbus 330-200, proudly nicknamed ‘Ubumwe’ (unity).

The aircraft is the first of its kind in East Africa and will help boost RwandAir’s capacity to expand its wings globally, John Mirenge, the airline’s chief executive, told The New Times in Toulouse, France, yesterday.

The aircraft, with a capacity of 244 passengers, is expected to touch down at Kigali International Airport at exactly 11am today, with more than 80 passengers on board.

Mirenge said the new wide body aircraft is the biggest milestone for Africa’s fastest growing airline and opens up opportunities in terms of expanding the airline’s footprint.

“We are now set to compete globally,” Mirenge said, adding that the airline has been growing at an average of 20 per cent in the last six years and is currently positioning itself as the most efficient and reliable airline in the region.

The new aircraft, worth about $250 million (about Rwf200 billion) brings the airline’s total fleet to nine with additional four planes expected to be delivered by end of February next year.

The aircraft is expected to be deployed on the Dubai route.

And, a second Airbus 330-300 is due for delivery in November and, according to aviation experts, the acquisition of these two wide-body aircraft will significantly increase RwandAir’s capacity to effectively meet growing demand and provide exceptional service quality for the ever-growing Asia-China and European passenger markets.

RwandAir will soon add Harare (Zimbabwe), Mumbai (India), and Guangzhou in China on its list of destinations before expanding to Western Europe.

The A330 type of aircraft has an operational reliability of 99.4 per cent and boasts efficiency for all market segments, thus making it a perfect match for RwandAir, Corrin Higgs, the Airbus interior marketing director, said.

The new aircraft means the airline can now expand its flight coverage to both Europe and East Asia in the near future.