Rwanda’s national carrier, RwandAir, has launched a new Zanzibar-Mombasa route, hoping to tap the coastal tourism boom to grow its fortunes.

The airline will operate the new route four times weekly, linking its Kigali hub with two of East Africa’s most sought-after leisure destinations. The flights will be served by a Boeing 737 aircraft, marking RwandAir’s return to Mombasa after a six-year pause.

The expansion is part of RwandAir’s strategy to establish Kigali as a competitive regional hub that rivals Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Addis Ababa in connecting East Africa to global travel and trade corridors.“Returning to Mombasa and introducing Zanzibar is another step forward in our ambitious growth journey,” said Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir’s CEO.

She added that the route will expand opportunities for both leisure travellers and regional commerce.

Zanzibar and Mombasa are among the region’s most popular coastal destinations, which draw in international visitors annually. Zanzibar, in particular, has seen a tourism recovery that has attracted investors in high-end hospitality, luxury villas, and beach resorts that cater for European, Middle East, and intra-African travellers.

The airline’s new route will face competition from Kenya Airways (KQ) and Jambojet, which already have a strong presence on the coastal routes.

KQ currently flies daily between Nairobi and Zanzibar, with frequencies reaching 13 flights per week, including some days that have double services. Jambojet, KQ’s low-cost subsidiary, launched the Mombasa–Zanzibar route in July 2024. It began with four flights per week and has since expanded to as many as six per week, with the airline targeting daily flights during peak holiday seasons.

Other airlines include Precision Air and Air Tanzania, which have dominated the local Tanzania routes, while Ethiopian Airlines has also used Addis Ababa as a connecting hub for Zanzibar-bound travellers.

The coastal leisure market is proving resilient even amid global economic headwinds, with Zanzibar recording a steady rise in arrivals from Europe and the Gulf states. Airlines are banking on the sustained demand for short-haul regional tourism that has been fuelled by a rising African middle class and intra-African travel spurred by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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