The launch of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) has enabled RwandAir to access 17 African countries paving the way to project Rwanda as the regional aviation hub. RwandAir currently operates 12 aircraft across 28 destinations in 22 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. However, as its partnership with Qatar Airways takes form, RwandAir is expected to almost double its fleet next year.
On October 5, 2021, RwandAir and Qatar Airways signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement that gives the Rwandan carrier access to Qatar’s more than 65 destinations across Africa and the rest of the world. As part of the deal, RwandAir launched non-stop flights between its Kigali hub and Doha in December 2021.
Qatar Airways’ planned investment is valued at least $28 million, according to financial statements submitted to the US Department of Transportation last year.
With the codeshare, RwandAir will be able to access the US markets and expand to key UK destinations like London, Zurich, and Madrid, along with Asian countries like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.
Going ahead, Rwanda received Category 1 status from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after it qualified for an International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA). The Category 1 rating recognizes Rwanda’s civil aviation authority as compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and allows qualifying carriers to operate direct services to the US.
RwandAir launched direct flights between Heathrow in London and Kigali in November 2022.
Going ahead, the under-construction Bugesera International Airport is being redesigned to cater to seven million passengers per annum with planned expansion for the second phase for 14 million passengers a year expected to start by 2032. In December 2019, Qatar Airways agreed to take a 60% stake in the project, which is valued at around $1.3 billion.
International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s forecast shows that African airlines will narrow down their losses to $638 million in 2022 from $1.1 billion in 2021 as the global airlines move towards post-pandemic recovery.