RwandAir has become the first African airline to be awarded the top Diamond status rating for Covid-19 prevention measures. The rating is the highest attainable level.
The award from APEX Health Safety and powered by SimpliFlying honours the airline’s sustained work to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitisation for its customers and crew.
The Diamond rating positions RwandAir as the safest airline in Africa and comes after it was recently announced as the first African airline to vaccinate all staff.
"APEX Health Safety sets the industry benchmark for customer-centric Covid-19 certification and provides a scientifically-based validation system to encourage airlines to reach the highest possible standards for health and hygiene," APEX Health Safety said.
Each participating airline has to complete a 58-point checklist, which covers submission, verification, validation, and a quarterly review certification process.
RwandAir chief executive Yvonne Manzi Makolo said the health and safety of its customers and staff was its priority.
"We are delighted to be awarded Diamond status from APEX Health Safety, for our Covid-19 prevention measures.
“Reaching the highest attainable level for hygiene standards is a powerful clean bill of health for the airline and validation for all the hard work we have put in to ensure the safest possible traveller experience for our customers and staff.
“We know that restoring customer confidence to fly is critical to resume safe international travel, which is why we have undertaken a 360-degree approach to ensuring that every aspect of our operations meets the highest standards.
“From the deep cleaning and disinfection of aircraft to automatic hand sanitiser dispensers available throughout Kigali International Airport, our hub, we have looked at every aspect of the customer journey to ensure we keep Covid-19 at bay and protect those who fly with us," said Makolo
APEX chief executive Joe Leader said RwandAir proved that reaching that level of health safety did not depend upon the size of the airline, but rather the incredibly proactive steps taken for customer and staff well-being.
"We are deeply proud of RwandAir as a rising star for our entire airline industry in Africa. RwandAir has made a great breakthrough in implementing their health safety strategy along the whole customer journey since the beginning of the pandemic," said Leader.
SimpliFlying chief executive Shashank Nigam said that taking such measures ensured health safety would bolster trust among travellers.
"The award gives airlines a proactive role in helping resume international travel, creates a common standard for airlines for the health and safety of passengers and highlights successful aviation industry practices," Nigam said.