FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact Communications@rwandair.com
Additional images here: Skytrax Award photos
Kigali, Rwanda, 18 September 2026: RwandAir has been awarded Best Airline Staff in Africa at the 2026 World Airline Awards, presented by Skytrax, recognising its consistently high standards of customer service across its growing network.
The award was presented at the 2026 World Airline Awards ceremony in London, where RwandAir was recognised alongside the world’s leading airlines. The award reflects RwandAir’s continued focus on service excellence, with its people at the heart of the customer experience. From cabin crew and airport teams to customer service and operational staff, RwandAir’s employees play a central role in delivering the warmth, hospitality and professionalism for which the airline is increasingly recognised. Today, RwandAir employs more than 2,300 people, a workforce the airline continues to grow through initiatives such as the RISE Graduate Development Programme and the RwandAir Cadet Pilot Programme.
The award adds to RwandAir’s growing list of international accolades. In 2025, the airline was named Best Regional Airline in Africa at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, while in 2026 it was also awarded Best Cabin Service in Africa at the APEX Awards.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO, RwandAir, said: “We are proud to receive the Skytrax award for Best Airline Staff in Africa. This recognition belongs to our people, whose dedication, professionalism and genuine care for our customers bring RwandAir’s service promise to life every day, carrying the spirit of Rwanda with them on every journey.”
“As we continue to grow and strengthen our position as Africa’s gateway to the world, we remain committed to investing in our people and ensuring that every passenger experiences the warmth, care and professionalism that define RwandAir,” added Makolo.
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said: “We congratulate RwandAir on being awarded the Best Airline Staff Service in Africa which is a great affirmation from customers for the quality of warm Rwandan hospitality provided by their airport staff and cabin crew. This recognition demonstrates the appreciation that customers have for the RwandAir service which is clearly meeting the highest standards.”
The Skytrax World Airline Awards are widely recognised as a global benchmark for airline excellence, assessing the passenger experience across customer service, cabin experience, airport services and overall airline performance.
The recognition comes at an exciting time for RwandAir as the airline continues to expand its network, strengthen its fleet and enhance the customer experience, with service excellence and Rwandan hospitality remaining central to its ambition to connect Africa to the world.
ENDS
About RwandAir
RwandAir, Rwanda’s national carrier connects Africa to the world from its Kigali hub, strategically located in the heart of Africa. Founded in 2002, the airline operates a modern fleet of Airbus A330s, Boeing 737-800NGs, Bombardier Q400s and a dedicated freighter, serving 22 destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with codeshare and interline partnerships extending connectivity to an additional 150 destinations worldwide. RwandAir has been recognised by the Skytrax World Airline Awards for its service excellence, including Best Airline Staff Service in Africa in 2026 and Best Regional Airline in Africa in 2025. In 2022, the airline also won Best Airline Staff in Africa, Best Cabin Crew in Africa and Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness in Africa
RwandAir was also awarded Best Cabin Service in Africa at the 2026 APEX Awards. The airline serves as a catalyst for trade, tourism and economic growth across Africa and beyond. Follow Us: Instagram | X | LinkedIn | Facebook
THE 2026 WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS
The World Airline Awards are wholly independent and impartial, introduced in 1999 to provide a customer satisfaction study that is truly global. Travellers across the world vote in the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to determine the award winners. The awards are referred to by media around the world as “the Oscars of the aviation industry”. Skytrax pay all costs of the Survey and the Awards process, with no sponsorship. There is no survey entry or registration fee, and the awards event is free to attend and there are no charges or royalty payments for use of the award logos and results.
The online survey operated from September 2025 to August 2026, and more than 100 customer nationalities participated, with 24.8 million eligible entries counted in the results. All survey entries were screened to identify IP and user information, with duplicate, suspect and ineligible entries deleted.
Over 300 airlines are featured in the 2025/2026 survey results. The customer survey was offered in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. For any further information, please contact Peter Miller at Skytrax: peter.miller@skytrax.uk
Source:RwandAir