When the Rwandan national airline, Rwandair, returned its ACMI-leased B737-500 to Air Malawi a few months ago, its regular flights between Kigali and Joburg had to be suspended due to lack of suitable aircraft.

Last week, however, the airline concluded a lease arrangement for a B737-300, which once commencing operations, will allow the resumption of the South Africa flights.

In confirmation of information published recently the airline's executive chairperson, Gerald Zirimwabagabo, also made reference earlier in the week to the planned co-operation with Fly540/Lonrho Aviation, indicating negotiations are well near complete.

This will ultimately result in selling a 49 percent shareholding to the new investors.

It would also appear that the acrimonious suspension of the code share agreement between Kenya Airways and Rwandair on the Nairobi route over the use of the leased CRJ100 may have put to rest any last opportunity for KQ to step into the fray after Brussels Airlines failed to submit the required financial proposals and effectively dropped their bid for a partnership with Rwandair two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, over the past five years the number of hotel, lodge and resort rooms across Rwanda has grown by 37 percent, adding more choices for visitors to the country. The figures were released by the Rwanda National Office for Tourism and National Parks during the week.

The development speaks volumes about Rwanda's determined effort to promote investments and tourism in the country and their ability to attract foreign investment.

The anticipated arrival of Dubai World's new $250-million (about R2-billion) investment package in the hospitality sector, a new true five-star hotel in Kigali - cum golf course - and new lodges in the Virunga and Nyungwe National Parks, will add further rooms on the safari circuit and the city while their planned rehabilitation of the existing Akagera Lodge in the centre of the Akagera National Park will add renewed vigour and quality to that part of the country.