Rwanda’s Ministry of Infrastructure has announced that the country will reopen airport operations for scheduled commercial flights on August 1 but added that several measures shall be adhered to safeguard the health of passengers, crew and staff.
The official statement made available Sunday to APA in Kigali said that tTo ensure the safety and health of passengers, crews and staff, airport operations will adhere to guidelines developed by the Ministry of Health and recommendations of the ICAO Council on Aviation Recovery Task Force.
The Task Force aims at identifying and recommending strategic priorities and policies for States and industry operators in regards to responding to the serious impact being felt across the international civil aviation sector as a result of Covid-19, it added.
Rwandan officials emphasize that all passengers, including those in transit, will be required to show proof of a Covid-19 PCR negative test from a certified laboratory, taken within 72 hours of arriving in Rwanda.
For passengers entering Rwanda, the statement adds, a second PCR test will be conducted upon arrival, with results delivered within 24 hours.
According to the statement, during the 24 hours of waiting for test results, passengers will remain in designated hotels at their own cost.
The move comes after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently issued a series of recommendations which they say could help the aviation sector as it plans to re-start passenger flights amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The roadmap aimed to provide the confidence that governments will need to enable the re-opening of borders to passenger travel, and the confidence that travellers will need to return to flying.
CU/abj/APA