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On its July September 2015 issue, African Aerospace made a report about the aviation industry in Rwanda, 21 years after the Genocide against Tutsi. We have made a summary.

You can read the full report here.

Overview of the RwandAn Aviation and projects :

Currently, Kigali, the largest airport in the country, it is served by some majors such as KLM, Turkish, Ethiopian, Kenya Airways or Qatar Airways. The traffic in 2013 was over 600 000 passengers. According to the projections, the traffic in Rwanda will record a growth of 19% from 2013 to 2018 and 21 % from 2018 to 2021.

By 2020, Rwanda hopes to have two airports at Kigali. The Bugesera airport project is currently stalling, due a lack of fund. Rwanda is trying to attract both public and private investors. However, once completed, the airport will be handle up to 4 millions of passengers, as well as the A380.

Due to a lack of local skilled workers, many workers are foreigners. Rwandans Authorities are currently working closely with some Air Transport Associations, such as, Aviassist,  IATA, ICAO, to set up an Aviation School, in Rwanda

Others mains projects are the liberalization of the African, the improvement of the safety , and the establishment of an Air Traffic Center, in Rwanda.

RwandAir :

Despite to not be profitable (the airline hopes to be break even in 2018), RwandAir is growing and has a strong support, from the Government. The airline is at a turning point, with the arrival of the A330s, and the adding of a 3 third B737-800, in 2016. The airline will then add India, China, Malaysia, UK and Germany on its network.

The aims of RwandAir is too become an alternative, in Africa, to link African countries between them, but also to link Africa to the Europe and the Asia. As landlocked country, Rwanda needs to have a good air connectivity with the rest of the world.

After got the IOSA certification, in 2015, RwandAir hopes to get another certification for its ground handling company, by June 2016.

RwandAir is currently set up its own training facility, with the help of Ethiopian, Kenya Airways and Turkish Airlines.

Akagera Aviation:

This is the first Rwandan charter airline. Thanks to a great growth of a the tourism sector, the airline has grown quickly  The airline has added more helicopters*, to meet the demand.

Akagera Aviation has now its own Aviation School (the first helicopter school in East Africa) and its own MRO (Maintenance, repair and operations Center).

The company has also developed an Emergency Medical Services and has spread its rotors to Burundi. Akagera Aviation plans to order an AW119 Koala.

* two R44s crashed, one in 2011 and one in 2014

ALS Catering & SP Aviation :

Until 2014, airlines serving Kigali, meals were loaded either at Nairobi or at Entebbe, for KLM, Qatar, Turkish Airlines and Brussels Airlines (all those airlines serve Kigali via Nairobi or Entebbe). RwandAir ordered meals at Hotel des Mille Collines.

With the arrival of ALS Catering, Kigali Airport has it own catering center. ALS serves 1200 meals per days. Currently, RwandAir and KLM are its two customers. ALS was approached by FlyDubai. ALS provides also catering services for private flights.

In the meantime, another company is enjoying the growth of the Aviation industry, in Rwanda, SP Aviation. The company has a fleet of 10 trucks, which each week go to Dar Es Salaam, to bring back fuel to Rwanda. 90 % fuel comes from Tanzania and 10 % from Kenya.

SP Aviation built several tanks to store fuel. KLM uses 50 000 litres to fly to Amsterdam

Rwanda Air Force :

After a major reform in early 2000s, in its army, and the support from USA and UK, Rwanda started to take part in various peacekeeping missions, across the world. Rwanda sent its first Aviation Unit in South Sudan, in 2013.

The Air Force is composed of only Choppers such as MI 17 and MI 24. However, in 2007, RAF planned to buy ex Mirage F1 from South Africa ad recently, South Korean press reported that Rwanda planned to add KAI KT1 aircraft