Few aircraft types elicit as much negative response from passengers as regional jets, although I like them despite being 6′. Generally, negativity is especially concerned with all-economy 50-seat cramped equipment. However, larger aircraft, including the CRJ900, are not immune, not least because of the typical inability to stand up fully.
Going: the longest CRJ900 service
RwandAir is not a carrier on many people’s lips. Like many state-owned airlines, the tiny East African carrier has a complex fleet, increasing costs, complexity, and manageability. According to ch-aviation, it has 14 aircraft, not all active: six 737-800s, two Dash 8 Q400s, two CRJ900s, two A330-300s, one A330-200, and one 737-700.
Its two CRJ900s, delivered in 2012, have 74 seats: 68 in economy and six in business. The type was used to inaugurate RwandAir’s first Cape Town service in May 2018, routing via the Zimbabwe capital, Harare, in both directions with fifth-freedom traffic rights. While the 737-800 is used at times, it has primarily been on the CRJ900—as it currently is.
The long route’s schedule
The one-stop route, served three times weekly, is scheduled as follows, with all times local. The last flight is on October 24, although Kigali-Harare will continue. It does not appear that it will introduce Kigali-Cape Town non-stop.
The one-stop service covers 2,126 nautical miles (3,938 km) each way and takes up to 6h 50m to reach South Africa, including the 40-minute stop in Zimbabwe to refuel and to drop off and collect passengers.
- Kigali-Harare: WB110, 08:20-11:05 (2h 45m)
- Harare-Cape Town: WB110, 11:45-15:10 (3h 25m); 6h 50m to reach South Africa
- Cape Town-Harare: WB111, 16:10-18:55 (2h 45m)
- Harare-Kigali: WB111, 19:40-22:25 (2h 45m); 6h 15m to get to Rwanda
Image: GCMap
The important markets for the route
Unsurprisingly, booking data shows that the Kigali-Cape Town point-to-point market is tiny (<3,000 roundtrip passengers in the year to July 2024). As such, there is no plan to introduce that route non-stop.
Stopping in Zimbabwe capitalizes on Harare-Cape Town traffic (31,000). At the same time, the service is scheduled to connect to other destinations over RwandAir’s mini-Kigali hub, especially Entebbe, Lagos, London Heathrow, and Nairobi. South Africa’s Airlink will continue to serve Cape Town-Harare daily non-stop each way.
The new 10-longest CRJ900 services
When RwandAir’s one-stop service ends on October 24, Entebbe-Johannesburg, operated by Uganda Airlines, will become the world’s longest CRJ900 link. As always, things may change later, so treat this as a snapshot of what’s planned for October/November as of September 23.
Image: GCMap
Notice that some routes see the type on October 26. That’s the day before northern airlines switch to winter schedules, which means the top 10 list will change again, a never-ending merry-go-round.
|
Nautical miles (km) |
Airport pair |
Airline |
Comments about October/November service only |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1,583 (2,931) |
Entebbe-Johannesburg |
Uganda Airlines |
Daily CRJ900 |
|
1,151 (2,132) |
Philadelphia-Houston Intercontinental |
American Eagle |
Four to six times weekly CRJ900 from November 7 |
|
1,131 (2,095) |
Tianjin-Zhanjiang |
China Express |
CRJ900 flights end on October 26 |
|
1,098 (2,033) |
Toronto-Regina |
Air Canada Express |
Daily CRJ900 service ends on October 26 |
|
1,070 (1,981) |
New York LaGuardia-Tulsa |
Delta Connection |
Daily. The route began in September 2024 |
|
1,069 (1,980) |
Vancouver-Phoenix |
Air Canada Express |
CRJ900 flights end on October 26 |
|
1,023 (1,895) |
Vancouver-San Diego |
Air Canada Express |
Double daily CRJ900 |
|
1,009 (1,870) |
Vancouver-Winnipeg |
Air Canada Express |
CRJ900 October 27-31, then the type returns on December 19 |
|
1,006 (1,863) |
Washington Reagan-Oklahoma City |
American Eagle |
Mainly six times weekly CRJ900 November 5-December 4 |
|
1,004 (1,860) |
Chongqing-Hami (via Lanzhou) |
China Express |
Four times weekly CRJ900, reduced to three weekly from November |