RwandAir Cargo is launching new services from its Kugali hub to Dubai and Djibouti to be operated by its Boeing 737-800 converted freighter.
The new routes will increase RwandAir’s cargo network to seven destinations across Africa and the Middle East.
The flight to Dubai World Central (DWC) is the carrier’s second service to the UAE as it also offers flights to Sharjah.
The call at Djibouti is an addition to the Dubai-Sharjah flight and will start on June 17.
Yvonne Makolo, chief executive of RwandAir, said: “The added destinations will support efficient and reliable connections for business and provide significant opportunities for enhanced trade between Rwanda, the UAE, Djibouti, and the rest of the continent.
“As a landlocked nation, we recognise the importance of airfreight in Rwanda’s economic growth across Africa and beyond.
“Our geographic location at the heart of Africa enables us to connect every part of the continent, and we eagerly anticipate expanding this connectivity even further.”
Flights will operate twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Rwandair has been rapidly expanding its freighter network after it took delivery of its first all-cargo aircraft in November last year.
The 737-800SF is painted in RwandAir’s first cargo livery and is based at the carrier’s Kigali hub in Rwanda.
The carrier, which is 49% owned by Qatar Airways, said that the freighter would be utilised on flights to destinations in Africa and the Middle East, including Johannesburg, Nairobi and the UAE.
Bosco Gakwaya, director of RwandAir Cargo Services, added: “Our expansion to Dubai and Djibouti strengthens RwandAir Cargo’s role as a key trade facilitator on the African continent and is well aligned with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), transforming Kigali into a regional cargo hub.”