RwandAir to Commence Abuja flight In 2018

The local business community will soon be able to easily explore more Western African markets following the signing of a bilateral air service agreement between the Government of Rwanda and Cape Verde.

Signed by Minister of State for Transport, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye on behalf of government on the sidelines of the just-ended third annual International Civil Aviation Organisation World Aviation Forum 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria, the deal also presents RwandAir new market opportunities. The three-day meeting was under the theme, Financing the Development of Aviation Infrastructure.

The minister also negotiated a bilateral air service agreement with Nigeria, which is expected to be signed in Kigali in coming weeks at the same event, according to a statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure.

When it is signed, it will facilitate RwandAir’s flights to Abuja as its second destination in Nigeria after Lagos. Abuja route is expected to be opened in January 2018 subject to approval from Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. The authority is expected to inspect and verify RwandAir’s compliance to ensure operations start.

Rwanda has already signed 60 bilateral air service agreements with several countries as part of government efforts to increase air connectivity and deepen trade in Africa and beyond “to ensure that Rwanda opens to the world and vice versa”.
Of these, 24 bilateral agreements are with African states and the rest are with countries outside the continent.