RwandAir signed an agreement with the world’s largest aircraft lessor which will see the national carrier receive two Boeing 737-500s in May and July this year. The initial agreement signed by Mr. Ryan Barrett, Vice President GE Capital (GECAS) and Mr. John Mirenge, Chairman & Acting CEO RwandAir paves way for a long term engagement between the two organizations in the areas of aircraft leasing, maintenance, training and human capacity development.
Speaking after the signing, RwandAir Chairman & Acting CEO Mr. Mirenge underlined the need of the national carrier to have a strong passenger revenue driven network with the right aircraft to serve the airline’s expansion plans. The two Boeing 737-500 are expected to be deployed on routes with heavy passenger and cargo demand like Johannesburg while also serving intended RwandAir destinations like Kinshasa.
“GECAS has a keen interest in making this partnership work and in the near future we will see our organization involved in a number of projects at national level in Rwanda”, said Mr. Barrett, GE Capital Vice President.
GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is a fully owned subsidiary of General Electric which is the world’s renowned jet engines manufacturer. GECAS is a leading global player in commercial aircraft leasing and financing, with over 1,800 owned and managed aircraft, 23 offices, and more than 245 customers in over 75 countries. Its long-term commitment to the aviation industry extends to the development of necessary infrastructure to foster and ensure continued growth and extends further to jet engine financing and aircraft parts solutions.
Theodore Koumelis - Monday, April 19, 2010