Kigali Bugesera International Airport

Bugesera International Airport is an airport project in Rwanda. The USD818 million airport will be located 25km southeast of Kigali. The airport will feature a 4200m runway and have capacity for 1.7 million passengers p/a following the completion of first phase works. Total construction is expected to be complete by 2024 and will include the runway, cargo terminal and passenger terminal with capacity for 4.5 million passengers p/a. Mota Engil Engenharia e Construcao Africa SA replaced China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) as the key contractor for the project. Construction commenced in 2017.

May-2024. RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo said Kigali Bugesera International Airport is expected to commence operations in 2027 or 2028.

May-2023. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame stated the construction of Kigali Bugesera International Airport will be "around 70%" complete by the end of 2023. Mr Kagame stated: "Work is in progress, we've gone a long way. We're just trying to speed it up". The airport is built in partnership with Qatar and is expected to be complete by 3Q2024 or 4Q2024 and fully operational by 2026.

May-2021. Rwanda's Minister of Infrastructure Claver Gatete stated construction work on Kigali Bugesera International Airport has returned to pre-pandemic levels, following the easing of restrictions on the number of workers allowed on site. Mr Gatete said the first phase of construction, including the runway, is 40% complete and the second phase, including terminals and other facilities, will commence in two months. He said the project may be complete by the end of 2022 "if all goes according to plan". The USD400 million airport will feature a 30,000sqm passenger terminal with 22 check in counters, 10 gates, six aerobridges and capacity for 1.7 million passengers p/a.

May-2020. Rwanda Airports Company MD Firmin Karambizi stated the company is continuing expansion and upgrade works at Kigali Bugesera International Airport, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Works include expanding aircraft parking capacity to 18 aircraft, extending the arrivals terminal and implementing safety features to mitigate runway excursions. The terminal extension will include an additional passenger processing area.

Dec-2019. Rwanda Development Board announced Qatar Airways signed an agreement with Rwanda's Government to acquire a 60% stake in Kigali Bugesera International Airport. The board reported the project to develop Kigali Bugesera will require an estimated investment of USD1.3 billion and the airport will be equipped to handle up to seven million passengers p/a once phase one development works are completed.

Mar-2019. Rwanda's Government confirmed some elements of the construction of Kigali Bugesera International Airport were put on hold to accommodate a redesigning of the facility. The first phase of the project was previously scheduled for completion in 2020 however this decision may cause delays.

Nov-2018. Bugesera Airport Company expects to complete the USD414 million first phase of construction of Kigali Bugesera International Airport by 2020, with the airport's construction schedule on track. The Minister for Environment Vincent Biruta said he believes Kigali Bugesera International Airport will be the greenest airport in Africa, once complete. As the "country's largest" infrastructure project, the airport's designs were recently upgraded to meet "green standards". Global Green Growth Institute DG Frank Rijsberman commented the new airport will be among the first airports to achieve 'green' certification. The airport, under construction, will be a net zero emissions complex as a result of "energy and water efficiency and solar power", according to Dr Biruta.

Aug-2018. Rwanda's Ministry of Infrastructure Permanent Secretary Christian Rwakunda stated construction of the first phase of Kigali Bugesera International Airport's expansion will be 70% complete by Jun-2019. The airport is expected to be complete by 1Q2020.

Aug-2017. Rwanda's Ministry of Infrastructure stated the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Kigali Bugesera International Airport will take place on 09-Aug-2017. Completed in two phases, the first phase is expected to finish in Dec-2018, capable of handling up to 1.7 million passengers p/a.

Jul-2017. Rwanda's government signed a concession agreement for the construction and operation of Kigali Bugesera Airport. The USD700 million project is designed to be executed across four phases, with the first phase involving approximately 27 months of construction at an estimated cost of USD400 million. The first phase is expected to be completed by 2019, at which point the airport will be able to accommodate 1.8 million passengers per annum. 

Dec-2016. RwandAir stated Rwanda's Minister of Infrastructure James Musoni confirmed construction of Kigali Bugesera International Airport commenced and the airport is on track to commence operations by 2018.

Aug-2016. Rwanda's Government signed an agreement with Portuguese firm Mota Engil Engenharia e Construcao Africa for the construction of Bugesera Airport. The agreement will see Mota Engil finance the airport construction, with an expected initial completion of Dec-2018, and manage the airport for the next 25 years. After the initial construction in Dec-2018 is complete, the airport will commence further expansion to increase airport capacity to 4.5 million passengers p/a. The construction is expected to commence in Jun-2017. Total expansion is expected to require an investment of RWF657 billion (USD818 million).

Dec-2015. Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced ongoing negotiations with an unnamed “serious investor” to pursue development of Bugesara International Airport. RDB confirmed negotiations are in an advanced phase, with a potential deal early in 2016. The project was halted in 2013, following the withdrawal of China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

Sep-2015. Rwanda's State Minister for Transport Dr Alex Nzahabwanimana announced at least 26,000 hectares set aside for the construction of Bugesera International Airport will be temporarily allocated to landless farmers until construction work on the new airport commences. The land will be granted over the next six months, at the request of Bugesera District authorities. The state of work on the airport has been suspended due to land acquisition issues, including private land-owners refusing vacate land on which the airport will be constructed until compensation is paid. Work on the airport is not expected to commence until at least late 2016.

May-2015. Rwanda's Government postponed the launch of construction work on the planned Bugesera International Airport due to the failure of private land-owners to vacate land on which the airport will be constructed. Less than 10% of landowners have yet to be compensated for their land. The airport project had originally been scheduled to be completed by Oct-2014, but repeated land acquisition delays have pushed the project back by at least two years. The airport is tentatively due to be commissioned in late 2016.

Jul-2014. The Ministry of Local Government confirmed it is experiencing delays in land acquisitions for Bugesera International Airport, with more than 2000 households still within the airport's designated perimeter. Land valuations were made in 2009 and 2010 and some residents have challenged the level of compensation they are due. Others have been late in lodging claims or have made claims for land they do not control title to. The development project will include a terminal with initial capacity for 1 million passengers, increasing to 1.8 million at later stages, and a 4200m runway. Initial investment is projected at USD350 million, with a total cost of USD600 million including later phases.

Immediately afterwards, the Ministry of Local Government confirmed it had now acquired property from the 2000 landholders.

Construction work will commence once final land transfers have been completed and affected people have vacated the airport area. The now USD700 million project will be wholly funded by the Rwandan Government.

Apr-2013. Rwanda's Government plans to award a contract for the construction of Bugesera International Airport to China State Construction Engineering Corporation. The USD650 million airport will reportedly be located 25km southeast of Kigali, feature a 4200m runway and eventually have capacity for three million passengers p/a. The first phase of construction is reportedly scheduled to commence in 2013 and be complete by 2017 and will include the runway, cargo terminal and passenger terminal with capacity for 1.8 million passengers p/a.