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Kigali International Airport

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Kigali International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorRwanda Airports Company
ServesKigali
LocationKigali, Rwanda
Hub forRwandAir
Elevation AMSL1,488 m (4,882 ft)
Coordinates01°58′06.41″S 030°08′18.19″E / 1.9684472°S 30.1383861°E / -1.9684472; 30.1383861
Websiterac.co.rw
Maps
KGL is located in Rwanda
KGL
KGL
Location within Rwanda
KGL is located in Africa
KGL
KGL
KGL (Africa)
Map
Interactive map of Kigali International Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 3,500 11,482 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Passengers1.2 million[1]
Aerodrome data from Rwanda eAIP.[2]

Kigali International Airport (IATA: KGL, ICAO: HRYR), formerly known as Kanombe International Airport, is the primary international airport serving Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. There are 4 airlines based at Kigali Airport: RwandAir, the flag carrier airline of Rwanda; Akagera Aviation, a Rwandan helicopter airline;[3] Tempus Jet, an American airline providing charter flights;[4] and Nexus Aero, a Saudi VIP airline.[5]

Location

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Mil Mi-17 Rwanda Air Force - Darfur support, U.S. Army Africa, Kigali, Rwanda 090114
Rwandair Express Aircraft at Kigali airport
Kigali International Airport

The airport is located in the suburb of Kanombe Sector, at the eastern edge of Kigali, approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi), by road, east of the central business district of the city of Kigali.[6]

History

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The airport dates back to the Belgian colonial administration of Ruanda-Urundi. According to Rwandan historian Bernardin Muzungu, the first aircraft landed at Kanombe airport in Kigali in 1934.[7] After Rwanda's independence in 1962, the airport was upgraded and renamed Grégoire Kayibanda International Airport, after Rwanda's first president.[8] It is also commonly referred to as Kanombe Airport, after its location in the Kanombe area of eastern Kigali.[8]

During the Rwandan Civil War, the airport was a strategic site because of its role as Rwanda's main international airport and its proximity to the Kanombe military camp and the then presidential residence.[9] On 6 April 1994, the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down while on final approach to runway 28 at the airport, killing all 12 people on board.[10] The assassination triggered a renewed outbreak of the civil war and the beginning of the genocide against the Tutsi.[11]

After the genocide, the airport continued to operate as Rwanda's principal international airport and was renamed Kigali International Airport.[8] It is the hub for RwandAir.[12]

Between 2014 and 2017, over US$30 million was invested in upgrades, including a new apron, three taxiways, a hangar, and an upgrade of airfield lighting.[1] A further phase of expansion began in September 2019 in preparation for the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, including a new 53,000 m² apron with capacity for 18 aircraft, an arrivals terminal, runway strip grading, and a 3.3 km service road.[1][13]

Passenger traffic

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PassengersYear0200,000400,000600,000800,0001,000,0001,200,000200420072010201320162019PassengersAnnual passenger traffic

In 2008, the airport served 145,189 passengers, and about 290,000 passengers in 2010.[14] In May 2011, the Rwanda CAA announced that Kigali airport will be upgraded to meet the strong demand.[15] Works started in October 2012 and will be completed in May 2014.[16] In 2012, data from Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority shows that passenger traffic through Kigali International Airport grew by 30 per cent to 488,903 last year, up from 377,327 in 2011.[17] The airport handled over 300 flights a week. The airport is designed to handle 400,000 passengers per year. International and domestic passenger numbers were nearly 600,000 in 2013,[18] while there were about 400 weekly flights.[citation needed] International and domestic passenger numbers totaled 710,000 in 2016.[18]

Facilities

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There are three terminals at Kigali. The main two-story terminal was built to replace the single-story building, now housing the VIP terminal. The main terminal can handle 6 small-to-midsized aircraft, but also up to a Boeing 747 jet. The south side of the runway has two helicopter pads with access to the main runway, used by military helicopters. A cargo terminal is also located at the airport. The latest upgrades to tarmac and support systems were made in 2002. There is free Wi-Fi in the airport waiting area. In 2014, Kigali Airport ranked as the seventh-best regional airport in Africa, because of its capacity to respond to disaster, through its fire department (Category Nine), the second-best according to International Aviation Organisation standards.[citation needed]

Rwandair has its head office on the top floor of the airport main building.[19][20] The airline previously had its head office in Centenary House in Kigali.[21] The airline began moving its operations from Centenary House to the airport on Friday 14 May 2010. The airline was scheduled to be moved in by Monday 17 May 2010.[20]

In addition, Akagera Aviation, Akagera Aviation School, and the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority have their offices or are headquartered at the airport.[22]

New Kigali (Bugesera) International Airport

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In September 2016, a contract between the Rwandan government and Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção África, S.A., a Portuguese firm, was signed. The company will construct the airport in two phases with works on the first phase now scheduled to begin in June 2017. After finishing the first phase by December 2018, Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção África, S.A. will subsequently operate the airport for 25 years. The airport will have a capacity of 1.7 million passengers per year. A second phase that is planned to be built after that is supposed to raise the capacity of the airport to 4.5 million passengers per year. Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção África, S.A. will cover the costs of US$418 million for the first phase and US$400 million for the second phase, leading to a total investment of US$818 million. As compensation, the company has the right to keep the profits from operating the airport. Under the agreement, the Rwandan government won't have to contribute to the costs of construction and operation.[23]

In March 2019, the government confirmed that some works were temporarily put on hold in order for a redesign to take place.[24] The redesign will ensure that the airport is up to international standards.[citation needed]

In December 2019, Qatar's state-owned airline, Qatar Airways, collaborated with the Rwanda Development Board to purchase a 60% stake in the Bugesera International Airport. Infrastructure minister Claver Gatete said, “We are looking for a bigger sized airport. That's why we are looking for a bigger investor.”[25]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
Egyptair Cairo[26]
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa[27]
Kenya Airways Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[28]
Qatar Airways Doha[citation needed]
RwandAir Doha,[29] Mombasa,[citation needed] Paris–Charles de Gaulle,[citation needed] Zanzibar[citation needed]
SalamAirMuscat[30]

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
Astral Aviation Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[31]
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo Addis Ababa[32]
Qatar Airways Cargo Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta[33]
Qatar Airways Cargo
operated by ULS Airlines Cargo[34]		 Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo, Kano, Lagos
RwandAir Cargo[35] Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, Sharjah

Incidents and accidents

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  • 6 April 1994 – A Falcon 50 owned by and carrying then-president of Rwanda Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down while approaching the airport, killing all 12 aboard including Habyarimana and then-president of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, who were returning from a meeting to end the Rwandan civil war. The wreckage landed in front of the presidential palace. The attack was blamed on Tutsi rebels, and, as a result, within one hour of the crash Interahamwe militias began the Rwandan genocide. There is no consensus on who actually shot down or ordered the attack on the plane.
  • 1 June 2004 – An Antonov 32 owned by Sun Air (9XR-SN), reportedly suffered some problems with the left main undercarriage after takeoff from Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The airplane was headed for Goma, but diverted to Kigali for an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed on landing, causing the Russian pilots and Congolese passengers to sustain serious injuries. The An-32 involved in the accident had been detained in Goma mid-July 2003 because it carried a shipment of armaments destined for a Rwanda-backed militia in the Congolese Kasai region.
  • 12 November 2009, RwandAir Flight 205, a Bombardier CRJ-100 crashed into a VIP terminal shortly after an emergency landing; out of the 10 passengers and 5 crew, 1 passenger died.

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Kigali International Airport expansion will help to meet the growing demand for aviation services in Rwanda". Ministry of Infrastructure, Rwanda. 2 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "HRYR AD 2 - Kigali International". Rwanda eAIP. ASECNA. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  3. ↑ "About Akagera". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Tempus Jets international operations". Tempusjets.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Our headquarters are based in Saudi Arabia with a back-up Flight Operations Centre located in Bahrain as well as a new Africa base in Rwanda". Nexus.aero. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Road Distance Between Kigali And Kanombe With Map". Distancecalculator.globefeed.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
  7. ↑ Muzungu, Bernardin (2009). "Chapitre I: Les Evénements Divers". L'Histoire du Rwanda sous la colonisation (PDF). Cahiers Lumière et Société (in French). Vol. 43. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "Kigali International Airport Profile". CAPA - Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Report of the Investigation into the Causes and Circumstances of and Responsibility for the Attack of 06/04/1994 Against the Falcon 50 Rwandan Presidential Aeroplane Registration Number 9XR-NN (PDF) (Report). Independent Committee of Experts. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Crash of a Dassault Falcon 50 in Kigali: 12 killed". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country". United Nations Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Who we are". RwandAir. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Infrastructure Sector Annual Report 2019/2020 (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Infrastructure, Republic of Rwanda. September 2020. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Four years ago, Kigali International Airport (KIA) used to handle 40–60 take-offs a week, with about 270,000 travelers a year using the airport". Hope-mag.com. 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013.
  15. ↑ Majyambere, Gertrude (13 May 2011). "Rwanda: Kigali International Airport to Get Rwf8 Billion Facelift". Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2017 – via AllAfrica.
  16. ↑ "News details". Mininfra.gov.rw. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "New Rwanda airport ready for take-off". Theeastafrican.co.ke. 19 February 2014. Archived from the original on 19 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  18. 1 2 Julien Clémençot (23 June 2017). "Aéroports : l'Afrique prend de l'altitude". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  19. ↑ "All RwandAir Offices & Branches". RwandAir. Archived from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011. Kigali Head Office Kigali International Airport Main Building (top floor)
  20. 1 2 "Announcement on RwandAir Head Office shift from Centenary House to new airport office". RwandAir. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  21. ↑ Flight International 12–18 April 2005[full citation needed]
  22. ↑ "Annual contract for office stationary supply". Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2013. 1. Tender Documents in ENGLISH may be obtained from Kigali International Airport (RCAA offices)
  23. ↑ "Portuguese firm takes over Bugesera airport project, says works to be completed in 2018". New Times. 2 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  24. ↑ "Bugesera International Airport under redesign". www.newtimes.co.rw. 20 March 2019. Archived from the original on 20 March 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  25. ↑ "Qatar Airways to buy new Rwandan international airport". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  26. ↑ "Cairo, Egypt CAI". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 26 (11). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 198–201. May 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  27. ↑ "Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ADD". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 26 (11). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 17–19. May 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  28. ↑ "Nairobi, Kenya NBO". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 26 (11). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 776–778. May 2025. ISSN 1466-8718. OCLC 41608313.
  29. ↑ "Hamad International Airport welcomes RwandAir's direct flights from Kigali to Doha". Hamad International Airport. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  30. ↑ Karp, Aaron (21 July 2026). "Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C July 20, 2026)". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 21 July 2026. Oman's SalamAir opened flights between Muscat and Kigali, Rwanda.
  31. ↑ "EX – NAIROBI SCHEDULE". Astral Aviation. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "Ethiopian Airlines Cargo Schedule". Ethiopianairlines.com. 29 February 2012. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014.
  33. ↑ "Martinair Services Kigali From Amsterdam" (PDF). Cargo.martinair.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
  34. ↑ "Bolloré Logistics participates in new airfreight service to Africa with Qatar Airways Cargo".
  35. ↑ "RwandAir expands its fleet with a dedicated freighter".
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