Page 23 - World Airnews Magazine June 2020 Edition

NEWS AFRICA

PREPARING FOR A RWANDAIR LOOKS

NEW DIGITAL NORMAL TO CARGO

By Edmund Kagire
olls-Royce is publishing, for free,
Rits world-class digital skills training
programme to help people and businesses

around the world prepare for a potentially
digital-centric recovery from COVID-19.
Bringing together its training partners
and platforms, the first suite of courses

includes introductions to data science, arti-

ficial intelligence, machine learning, coding
and digital culture. Courses range from

‘bite size’ 20-minute sessions to extend learn more digital skills in anticipation of • Learning Tree - Delivered by an
fully certified training programmes. the future.” award-winning industry leader, im-

This release by Rolls-Royce follows its Supporting partners for this open learn- merse in a suite of e-learning modules,
founding role in establishing the global ing programme, and the tools they are white papers, skills assessments, live

Emergent Alliance, a voluntary group of offering are: and recorded webinars on topics from
technology companies and data science • Data Camp - an opportunity to expe- agile to data analytics.

specialists working together to find new rience the top data science, artificial • TeenTech - For students 11-19 years,

ways to accelerate and smooth the path to intelligence and machine learning there are weekly insights into world-
economic recovery as the pandemic passes. courses used by Rolls-Royce employees class organisations and the oppor-

The Rolls-Royce digital academy has • edX - Rolls-Royce’s own CPD-ac- tunities that lie within them. Each
trained 20,000 of our employees in the last credited digital skills fundamentals session will be themed and hosted by
two years as it assists our transformation programme containing six key courses sponsors and industry experts. Stu-

into one of the world’s leading industrial including data awareness, the power dents can ask questions, develop their

technology companies - and these are the of data and agile mindset. own solutions to global challenges and

training courses that are helping make that • Google for Education - Google Applied learn more about different careers. Makolo said as the national carrier looks to

change happen. Digital Skills helps teachers and stu- • TechWeCan – a free, easy to use and he National Carrier Rwandair is capitalize on the demand for goods on the con-

Head of the digital academy at Rolls- dents learn practical digital skills using fun lesson plans for home schooling tinent as supply remains affected by restric-

Royce, Manisha Mistry said, “Many people the free project-based video curricu- children (aged 10-13 years); children Tlooking to shift focus to cargo freight tions on flights to limit the spread of COVID-19.

and businesses are experiencing incredibly lum. The ready-to-use video lessons can learn about the opportunities in the short term as passenger flights remain The airline’s expansion plans have been

tough circumstances and these free train- teach digital skills that have immedi- a career in technology can offer; or suspended in a bid to avert the spread of disrupted by the New Corona virus outbreak,

ing packages are a tangible way for us to ate, real-life applications that provide join weekly Tech We Can Tuesday live New Corona virus. having just launched what were considered

offer some help. Many have been tried and students with the skills needed to suc- lessons at 10.30am; taking part in the Recently RwandAir inaugurated cargo flights key lucrative routes to China, India, Israel

tested by Rolls-Royce employees. They can ceed in the classroom and on the job, City of Tomorrow challenge, where from Mwanza, Tanzania to Brussels, Belgium, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) just

help people prepare for work and business- from researching to analysing data. students apply their knowledge of sci- which will be transporting fish to Europe. months before the pandemic struck.
es transform ready for a digital future, just • IBM - Machine Learning for Kids: it will ence, technology, and engineering to The inaugural flight was flagged off by the Rwandair has been listed among the busi-

like we’ve been doing at Rolls-Royce for the soon be normal for machine learning create their City of Tomorrow where Tanzania Minister of Transport and Mining nesses in the country that will benefit from a

last couple of years. systems to drive our cars and help our no ideas are too big and everything is Isack Kamwelwe and Rwanda’s High Commis- government stimulus package to resuscitate

“Whether you’re 8, 18 or 80 years-old, doctors to diagnose and treat illnesses. smarter, kinder, and safer than before. sioner to Tanzania Charles Karamba. businesses and keep them in operation.

these training packages will help you during This course provides hands-on experi- People keen to learn will be able to ac- The development comes few weeks after The national carrier has already taken mea-

this disruptive period of isolation: whether ence in an easy-to-use guided learning cess the courses through this link: the airline resumed flights between Kigali and sures to minimise operation costs, including

you need to keep your kids occupied, need environment to the people who will be https://www.rolls-royce.com/products- Guangzhou, China via Mumbai but strictly for cutting salaries of employees by between 8%

new skills for a future job or just want to programming the machines of the future. and-services/digital-academy.aspx Q cargo, as well as the weekly cargo flight to to 65%, based on one’s position, while the

Brussels and London. top leadership of the airline decided to forfeit

their salaries until the situation stabilizes.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rwan-

A GREAT BEAUTY dAir, Yvonne Makolo told reporters that the would review the status of passenger flights
On May 6, the airline announced that it

airline is seeing an increase in on-demand
cargo flights locally and within the region, as in line with government measures to prevent

most grounded airlines around the world are the spread of COVID-19, and issue an update-a
now looking to cargo to return to the skies. move which will largely depend on whether
“We are focusing on cargo because of the the government considers reopening borders.

This Dassault Falcon 900 is a 31 year old restrictions on passengers travelling. Our The airline currently has a fleet of 12 air-

example that has been kept busy with plans depend on when the borders will open. crafts, which include an Airbus A330-300, an
repatriation and medevac flights from In the meantime, our focus is on cargo,” Airbus A330-200 and 6 Boeing 737 as well as

the African continent. Refurbished in Makolo said. four Bombardier aircrafts. Like many airlines
2016 and capable of accommodating Asked if the passenger aircrafts have been across the world, majority remain parked at

14 passengers, the aircraft has been transformed to carry more cargo, Makolo said Kigali International Airport (KIA) since March.

chartered by Maltese brokers to fly out of that Rwandair is still relying on the cargo hold With no passengers in sight due to

critical places in Eastern and Sub Saharan and aisles in the cabin to transport cargo. COVID-19 measures, airlines across the world
Africa. Photo by Rowen Aquilina. “The aircrafts have not been transformed, have quickly turned passenger planes into

we are using the cargo hold plus the cabin,” cargo ones to minimize losses. Q
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