Rwandan carrier, RwandaAir, has set the pace for its African counterparts, by becoming the first in the continent to vaccinate every employee against coronavirus.
The move distinguishes the airline as the safest in Africa.
The vaccination exercise kicked off early March, with all staff and crew members receiving their first shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
In addition to RwandaAir staff and crew, other workers at the Kigali International Airport were also vaccinated, to assure passengers of a safe and secure environment while on transit.
“We look forward to welcoming our customers back to RwandAir. As an airline, the health and safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we have been working hard to restore our customers’ confidence to fly,†the airline’s CEO, Yvonne Manzi Makolo said.
“We have carefully considered every customer touchpoint at Kigali International Airport and on board our aircraft, as the world resumes travelling in the post-Covid era,†she added.
The vaccination also increases RwandaAir’s chances of getting the IATA Travel Pass, which it is set to apply for in April.
If successful, the carrier will play a big part in the resumption of safe international travel amid the COVID pandemic.
The country is one of Africa’s most vaccine-enthusiastic, and its Head of State, Paul Kagame, alongside his wife Jeanette, were the first recipients as soon as the AstraZeneca vaccine, through the COVAX program, landed in the country.
