The Rwandan government and Qatar Airways have concluded an investment partnership deal for Rwanda’s new international airport located in Bugesera, at about 40 Km from Kigali in South Eastern Rwanda, an official source revealed Tuesday.
A statement issued by the Rwandan government said the partnership features three agreements to build, own, and operate the state-of-the-art facility.
As part of new partnership, Qatar Airways has agreed to take a 60 percent stake in the project, which as a whole is valued at around $1.3 billion, the statement said.
The new airport is being redesigned to accommodate seven million passengers per year, with a second phase for 14 million passengers a year expected to start by 2032, it said.
The Rwandan government said the agreements mark a key milestone in the development of Rwanda’s vibrant aviation sector, in the context of the excellent bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Works on the proposed airport, valued at about $400 million, began in 2017 with completion expected by the end of 2020.
However, officials say that after the commencement, they realised that there were some adjustments that needed to be done on the airport to “make it fit for purpose.”
The new airport, once complete, will have a passenger terminal covering 30,000 square metres, 22 check-in counters, 10 gates, six passenger boarding bridges, among others.
The airport is expected to have the capacity to handle about 1.7 million passengers every year, it said.
CU/as/APA