N2.3m Economy Class: Another Foreign Airline Begins Daily Flight in Lagos, Ready to Compete

• RwandAir, which the Government of Rwanda owns, has announced that it will begin daily flights to Lagos
• The government stated that the daily flights will commence in October 2024 and will offer unique services
• This development comes as international flight tickets remain expensive for many Nigerians due to exchange rate fluctuations

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.

RwandAir, one of Africa’s fastest-growing airlines, has unveiled plans to expand its services by launching daily flights to Lagos, Nigeria, beginning in October 2024.

Dennis Rwiliriza, RwandAir’s regional manager, announced a sales forum in Lagos, held at Gardens Event Centre, GRA Ikeja.

The forum aimed to provide travel agencies with product knowledge and updates on RwandAir’s offerings, as well as to gather feedback to boost sales

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RwandAir expands operations

At the event, Rwiliriza stated that the airline currently operates five times weekly in Lagos and three times weekly in Abuja from its hub in Kigali.

His words:

"Starting in October 2024, the Lagos route will expand to daily flights, offering greater flexibility and seamless connections to over 25 destinations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as more than 300 global destinations through partnerships with 40 interline partners."

Oladayo Abolaji, RwandAir’s sales manager, also spoke at the event, and he said:

"RwandAir operates a modern fleet of 14 aircraft, including A330s and B737s, providing premium services in both Business and Economy classes."

Airfares in Nigeria

Meanwhile, international airfares continue to be expensive for Nigerians due to the naira's depreciation in the foreign exchange market.

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Here is a snapshot of airfares by different airlines

Lagos to London Heathrow (Return Ticket)

Economy Class:

• KLM: N2.3 million
• Air France: N2.2 million
• Ethiopian Airlines: N2.7 million
• Egypt Air: N2.7 million
• Virgin Atlantic: N3.2 million
• Emirates: $1,130 (N1.83 million)

Business Class:

• Royal Air Maroc: N5.7 million
• Air Peace: N6.5 million
• Turkish Airlines: N6.9 million
• Egypt Air: N7.1 million
• Qatar Airways: N7.4 million
• Emirates: $4,290 (N6.9 million)

Lagos to Dubai (Return Ticket)

Economy Class:

• Emirates: $987 (N1.59 million)
• Turkish Airlines: N1.63 million
• Kenya Airways: N1.17 million
• Egypt Air: N1.3 million
• Qatar Airways: N1.3 million
• Ethiopian Airlines: N1.5 million
• Emirates: N1.7 million

Business Class:

• Egypt Air: N4.1 million
• Kenya Airways: N4.8 million
• Qatar Airways: N4.97 million
• Turkish Airlines: N4.98 million
• Ethiopian Airlines: N5 million
• Emirates: $4,418 (N7.1 million)

Emirates Airlines to recruit Nigerian graduates

Legit.ng earlier reported that Emirates Airlines had called on Nigerian graduates to apply for its new opening.

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The airline said this aligned with its plan to recruit an additional 5,000 cabin crew members for its new fleet of Airbus A350s in 2024.

In a statement, the airline said the opportunity was open to fresh graduates with internships or part-time jobs on their resumes but with at least one year of experience in hospitality or customer service.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng

Source: Legit.ng