Rwanda’s budding Air industry expected to handle 1.5 million passengers by 2018

The recently renovated Kigali International Airport

The country’s budding Air market that has registered tremendous growth in the past few years is projected to handle over 1.5 million passengers by the year 2018, thanks to the positive economic growth, despite the global spillovers.

The projected  growth is referenced on  the continued  positive performance of the economy , increased  investments  opportunities as well as the   promising tourism sector that saw  an increase in  international  meetings  held  in Rwanda.

This,  according to  aviation  experts is  a   positive  gesture that the  country  is  on track to  be  a region’s  logistics  hub considering its strategic position between  the East and central Africa regions.

With the  positive  performance outlook for the past  ten years that has  seen  soaring  passenger  numbers as well as cargo volumes  due to  the entry of  international  airlines in to the market, Rwanda becomes Africa’s  fastest growing Air to market, according by OAG Aviation market survey .

For example, a number  of international airlines have been flying  to  and from  the  region’s growing  air market  thus  boosting   both  domestic and  international frequencies, opening  the economy to  outside world.

“Connectivity brings people to business, delivers products to markets and reunites families and friends,” said Tony Tyler, Director General and CEO at The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association for the world’s airlines.

He adds, “And that could mean access to vital sources of health care and emergency assistance; jobs selling products in global markets or welcoming tourists; or opportunities for education, exploring the world or creating business.”

Accordingly, the Kigali International Airport handled 488,903 passengers (including international, domestic and direct transit passengers) in 2012 up from 276,115 passengers in 2008 while cargo had 6912,7 metric tonnes in 2012 when compared to 6784,4 metric tonnes in 2008.

But  most profoundly  has been the  increase  in the domestic market, that  saw  a rise in destinations  thus  linking the region  and easing  transport  that has been a challenges for the region mainly the private sector.

The domestic flight frequencies moved from 2, 000 in 2007 to 40,000 in 2011, easing businesses and reducing the cost of delays for the business community.

Traffic between Kigali and European Union grew to 25,759 passengers in the first quarter of 2014 up from 8,164 passengers in the first quarter of 2011.

Currently, Rwanda’s air Market   has eight major players that include RwandAir, the National Carrier, Brussels Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar, KLM, Turkish Airways Kenya Airways and the recent entrant Fly Dubai that made its maiden flight in September 2014.

This according to experts will   see more Airlines venturing into the market while the   current ones also   open up new destinations and bring in new bigger birds, something that would require   prior planning to   handle the increasing traffic.

But the sector  regulator Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) says that plans to  handle  increasing  traffic has been put in  place as  renovation  of the  Kigali international  airport , Kamembe Airport  as well as construction of the Bugesera Airport.