Regional low-cost carrier Jambojet has received approval from the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority to start flights to Kigali.
The approval means that the airline can begin operations to the destination as part of its regional expansion strategy.
“We are pleased to have received this approval. Kigali is one of the routes we have been pursuing in our expansion plan. Once we have everything in place, we will begin operations,” said Vincent Rague, Chairman, Jambojet.
Additionally, the airline has acquired a brand new De Havilland Dash 8 – Q400 aircraft.
The new aircraft brings to six, the total number of airplanes operated by Jambojet. It is also the first of four aircrafts that are expected this year to boost the airlines capacity as it looks to soar into more African destinations.
Jambojet Chief Executive Officer, Allan Kilavuka said: “We are excited about our growth prospects in the region. We have an aggressive plan to fly to more African destinations and this is why we are expanding our fleet.”
“The addition of this aircraft to our fleet brings the average age to 3.7 years, making us the airline with the youngest fleet in Africa and possibly across the world,” he said.
Currently, the airline flies to five local destinations namely Malindi, Ukunda, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and one regional destination -Entebbe, Uganda -from its hub in Nairobi. It also flies to Bujumbura, Burundi on behalf of the national carrier.
Jambojet Chairman, Vincent Rague said: “The African aviation sector has an opportunity to grow. More players are coming on board but there is space for everyone and we will continue to take advantage of our low-cost model and safety standards.”
The International Air Transport Association’s data shows that low-cost carriers account for about a quarter of all flights internationally, but less than 10 percent in Africa.
Recently, Jambojet was awarded the coveted IATA Operational Safety Audit certification (IOSA), an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the safety, operational management and control systems of an airline.
The airline was also ranked top airline in Africa with the youngest fleet in a report by global aviation intelligence provider, ch-aviation.
