[UPDATED on  5 May 2013]

You can contact Turkish Airlines  in Rwanda : HERE

According to Logistic Update Africa, Turkis Cargo will begin service to Kigali, from 03 June 2013, instead of 13 May. The one weekly service will be operated via Entebbe, on the one way leg.

1 : monday – 2 : tuesday – 3 : wednesday – 4 : thursday – 5 : friday – 6 : saturday – 7 : sunday

Airports codes

 EBB : Entebbe – IST : Istanbul –  KGL : Kigali .

Routing : Istanbul – Entebbe – Kigali – Istanbul

Turkish Airlines Cargo to start service to Kigali, from 13 May

18/04/2013 [UPDATED on 25 April 2013]

Some month ago, we said that Turkish Airlines planned to begin cargo service to Kigali. According to the New Times Rwanda, the airline will serve Kigali every monday, from 13 May. Flights will be operated with an A330 Freighter.

In less one year, Rwanda opened a Rwanda Development Board office in Turkey as well as an embassy. Turkey will built a 100 MW power plant and its national airline has built strong ties with RwandAir. Last week a Rwandan delegation was in Turkey, in particular they visited Turkish Airlines headquarter. 

Turkish Airlines Cargo will be the fourth cargo airlines to serve Kigali. Currently Astral Aviation (Nairobi), Ethiopian Airlines (Brazzaville, Addis Ababa and sometimes Lagos), Martinair Cargo for Air France KLM  (Amsterdam and Nairobi) serve Kigali. And in the coming weeks Kenya Airways Cargo, will fly to Kigali, from Nairobi.

Note DHL under the brand East African Cargo operates some flights from Entebbe to Kigali and Kamembe. In 2011 Kigali handled 5 922,08 tonnes of freight (mail and goods).

Rwandan traders will able to to export products, such as flowers, Bananas and Tea, to Dubai, France, Belgium, UK, India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, China and USA, which are the mains market for Rwanda, outside of Africa. 

In 2011, Emirates SkyCargo tentatively operated some flights from Dubai to Kigali, but quickly suspended flights citing “low demand” and high charges. Studies suggest that cargo flight charges in Rwanda are twice higher than those in other East African Community countries such as Kenya. Traders say cargo flights are expensive.

In 2012,  The Private Sector Federation and the National Agriculture Export Promotion Board  launched “a master plan” to boost production and ensure sustainability in the supply chain, to boost exportations and thus to attract more cargo airlines.

More infos about the  Turkish Cargo A330 Freighter : HERE

Copyright propfreak, link to its flickr gallery : HERE

The A330-200F is an all-cargo derivative of the A330-200 capable of carrying 65 t (140,000 lb) over 7,400 km (4,000 nmi) or 70 tonnes (150,000 lb) up to 5,900 km (3,200 nmi). To overcome the standard A330’s nose-down body angle on the ground, the A330F uses a revised nose undercarriage layout to provide a level deck during cargo loading.

The normal A330-200 undercarriage is used, but its attachment points are lower in the fuselage, thus requiring a distinctive blister fairing on the nose to accommodate the retracted nose gear.  Power is provided by two Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. General Electric does not plan to offer an engine for the A330-200F.

As of December 2012, Airbus had delivered 17 aircraft with 35 unfilled orders. The list price is $203.6 million. As well as new-build freighters, Airbus has proposed passenger-to-freighter conversions of existing −200 airliners. The A330-200F is sized between the 767-300F and 777F.