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Bugesera International Airport

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Airport under construction in Rwanda
Bugesera International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic, Civilian
OwnerRwanda Civil Aviation Authority
ServesKigali, Rwanda
LocationKigali, Rwanda
Elevation AMSL4,600 ft / 1,400 m
Coordinates02°08′09″S 30°11′00″E / 2.13583°S 30.18333°E / -2.13583; 30.18333
Map
Bugesera is located in RwandaBugeseraBugeseraApproximate location within Rwanda
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13,800 4,206 Paved

Bugesera International Airport (IATA: n/a, ICAO: n/a) is an airport in the Bugesera District of Rwanda under construction since 2017.

Location

Bugesera Airport is located in southeastern Rwanda, in Bugesera District, near the town of Rilima. This location is approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi), by air, and about 40 kilometres (25 mi), by road, south of Kigali International Airport. The approximate coordinates of Bugesera International Airport are: 02°08'09.0"S, 30°11'00.0"E (Latitude:-2.135833; Longitude:30.183333). Bugesera International Airport is situated at an elevation of 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) above sea level.

Planning phase, 2010-2016

In November 2010, press reports indicated that the Rwanda government had retained the international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to provide financial advice and lead the search for funding the project. The government wanted to develop Bugesera Airport as a public-private-partnership project.

As of 2014, Bugesera International Airport was planned to become Rwanda's largest International Airport, serving commercial flights destined to and from the greater Kigali metropolitan area to become Rwanda's third international airport, the country's 8th airport overall and to complement Kigali International Airport, which as of 2014 was operating at maximum capacity. Until 2014, 2000 families were expropriated.

In September 2016, the government of Rwanda signed a binding agreement with Mota-Engil of Portugal to fund, build and operate a new airport for 25 years under concession from the government, with the contract renewable for an additional 15 years. Mota-Engil agreed to provide the $418 million to fund the first phase of construction. Commercial operations were expected to begin in 2018. The airport was to initially have a single paved runway and during the second phase of construction, a second runway was to be added. The estimated cost for Phase I to be completed in 2018 was US$418 million, while Phase II was budgeted to cost US$382 million, for a total of US$800 million. As of 2018, the British engineering firm, TPS Consult Plc. was commissioned to carry out a feasibility study and design the new airport.

Construction, 2017-present

In August 2017, construction began with a doubling of the projected cost to US$828 million. Mota-Engil, through its subsidiary Mota-Engil Africa, was the main contractor and is to provide 75 percent of the funding. Rwandan company Aviation Travel and Logistics (ATL) was providing the remaining 25 percent of the funding and to provide ground handling services at the airport. Completion of the first phase was expected in 2019. In April 2019, construction was halted to make way for a redesign.

In December 2019, Qatar Airways agreed to continue the project, with a much larger airport being planned, at a construction budget of US$1.31 billion. The new airport would be able to handle one million passengers and 150 million tonnes of cargo annually during its first phase. Bugesera International Airport would have a 30,000-square-metre passenger terminal with 22 check-in counters, ten gates, and six passenger boarding bridges. In December 2019, Qatar Airways agreed to take a 60 percent stake in the airport. As per the Rwanda Development Board, the first phase of construction would provide facilities for seven million passengers a year. The second phase, expected to be completed by 2032, would increase the capacity to 14 million passengers a year.

As of July 2023, the airport was expected to cost US$2 billion and to be completed in 2026. In November 2023, local newspaper The New Times reported that Rwanda's 26.7 megawatts expected from the 80 MW Rusumo Hydroelectric Power Station, will be dedicated to powering Bugesera International Airport.

See also

References

  1. ^ Rwirahira, Rodrigues (14 August 2017). "Construction work on Bugesera Airport starts". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  2. ^ Mugisha, Ivan (4 February 2018). "Bugesera construction at 10pc, five months on". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  3. ^ Mwai, Collins (11 August 2017). "Rwanda:Bugesera Residents Eye Jobs as Works on New Airport Take Off". New Times (Rwanda). Kigali. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  4. GFC (17 August 2017). "Distance between Kigali International Airport, KN 5 Road, Kigali, Rwanda and Rilima, Eastern Province, Rwanda". Globefeed.com (GFC). Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  5. "Planned Location of Bugesera International Airport" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  6. FRC (17 August 2017). "Elevation of Rilima Above Sea Level". Fallingrain.com (FRC). Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  7. Kabona, Esiara (23 November 2010). "New Bugesera International Airport Could Change Rwanda". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  8. ^ EXPOGR (13 August 2014). "New Bugesera International Airport, Rwanda Among Projects That Need US$1 Billion". Expogr.Com (EXPOGR) Quoting Construction Review Online. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  9. Habimana, Seraphine (16 July 2014). "Rwanda: Bugesera Airport Project To Start After Families' Pay-Off". New Times (Rwanda) via AllAfrica.com. Kigali. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  10. ^ Ivan R. Mugisha (2 September 2016). "Rwanda inks $418m deal with Portuguese firm for Bugesera airport". The East African. Nairobi. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2014-11-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. New Times Reporter (April 2019). "Bugesera International Airport under redesign". Kigali: New Times (Rwanda). Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  13. Gerald Andae (11 December 2019). "Qatar's Sh131bn Rwanda airport set to rival JKIA". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  14. "Rwanda's Bugesera International Airport to Set Records for Sustainability". ArchDaily. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  15. "Qatar Airways to buy new Rwandan international airport". Al Jazeera. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  16. "Qatar Airways To Take Majority Stake In New Rwandan International Airport". The EastAfrican. Reuters. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  17. Bantock, Jack (2023-07-20). "The $2 billion Rwandan airport that could help African aviation take off". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  18. Michel Nkurunziza (15 November 2023). "Rwanda: Bugesera Airport to Be Connected to New Rusumo Power Plant" (via AllAfrica.com). The New Times (Rwanda). Kigali, Rwanda. Retrieved 7 December 2023.

External links

Airports in Rwanda
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