The House passes agreements with 12 countries to provide air service
The Rwandan government has negotiated air services agreements with several nations to increase regional and international aviation linkages, and on Tuesday, October 7, the Chamber of Deputies passed twelve draft legislation ratifying these accords.
According to MPs, the legislative support will be crucial for expanding RwandAir’s customer base, safety in air travel, and service quality while cutting operating expenses.
There were several instances between 2022 and 2024 when the agreements were signed. Guinea, Georgia, Canada, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Oman, Poland, Suriname, France, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini entered into these agreements.
The parties’ rights and obligations are delineated in each agreement, which covers topics such as landing rights, operational safety standards, and the transportation of passengers and goods.
Jimmy Gasore, the Infrastructure Minister, told lawmakers that many of the agreements give RwandAir “fifth freedom” rights, allowing it to use foreign airports and airspace for technical purposes like maintenance, safety, or refueling without engaging in commercial activity there.
He stated, “These provisions are intended to ensure operational flexibility and uninterrupted air connectivity.”
Additionally, Gasore emphasized that by 2028, Rwanda’s adherence to international standards and membership in the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa (ASECNA) will improve aviation safety, lower costs, and create economies of scale.
“The agreements are in line with continental initiatives like the Yamoussoukro Decision and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) under the African Union Agenda 2063, which both promote liberalization of African air transport and facilitate cross-border airline cooperation,” he said.
“To improve trade and connectivity, President Paul Kagame has repeatedly underlined the significance of integrating Rwanda’s airspace with the region,” Gasore said.
But according to the Minister, a parliamentary vote does not guarantee RwandAir will launch flights to every location right away.
“A procedure exists,” he stated. “Flights will start based on operational readiness and strategic planning, but these agreements give RwandAir the legal and technical foundation to run effectively.”
Members of Parliament emphasized these agreements’ strategic importance.
It is crucial to make sure that the nations that sign the agreements actively assist and enable RwandAir in reaching its operational and expansion goals, MP Yvonne Mujawabega underlined.
This opinion was supported by MP Diogene Bitunguramye, who demanded a precise schedule indicating the start time of flights to each nation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must keep a careful eye on any delays or modifications made by partner nations, MP Hope Tumukunde Gasatura said, even after the agreements were signed.
Setting aggressive expansion goals, RwandAir hopes to more than quadruple its passenger count by 2028/29, from little over 1 million in 2023/24 to over 2.1 million.
According to the government’s Transport Sector Strategic Plan 2024–2029, the airline intends to develop new aircraft acquisitions, new routes, and strategic alliances in order to increase its destinations from 23 to 29 during the same time frame.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw passenger numbers drop from 1.15 million before the pandemic to just 316,858 in 2020–21, the airline management claims that it has experienced a robust recovery.
From Rwf341 billion in 2022 to Rwf620.6 billion in 2023, revenues had a significant recovery, increasing by 82%.
