Kigali International Airport

For the majority of visitors to Rwanda, the main entrance point is Kigali International Airport. It was once known as Kanombe International Airport and is now Rwanda’s lone gateway and main airport. A few kilometres separate it from the core commercial and administrative centre, where the majority of hotels are situated, in Kigali’s South Eastern Kanombe region.

All domestic, regional, and international flights to and from Rwanda use this airport, which is run by Rwanda Airports Authority and Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority. It also serves as a transit airport for a variety of destinations, particularly regional flights to Goma and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as Burundi.

This airport in Kigali is one of the highest airports in the world, with a height of 1,491 metres above sea level. It is made up of a number of facilities, including three terminals and two helicopter pads, as well as a well-paved 35-meter runway that enables smooth takeoffs and landings of all different types of aircraft. The three terminals include the VIP terminal, the main passenger terminal, which can accommodate up to six small sized aircraft.

Kigali International Airport has undergone significant improvements over the past few years, and work on a new apron, taxiways, and hangar is still ongoing. It also continues to outfit the air navigation services with cutting-edge, world-class, and modern technologies, which has helped it rise to a higher ranking of being twice among the top 10 best airports in Africa based on highly rated overall service provided to clients at Kigali International Airport.

Other amenities at Kigali International Airport include customs and immigrations lounges, weather facilities, base operating rooms, passenger waiting lounges with VIP section, offices like Rwandair offices, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority offices, several check-in points/desks, sanitary service points, shops, forex bureaus, restaurants and bars, and more. In addition to these amenities, Kigali International Airport offers easily accessible services like free Wi-Fi, duty-free shops, ATMs and cash machines, mobile charging ports, luggage wrapping points, and lifts for vulnerable and disabled passengers. All of these amenities and well-maintained facilities will make your time at this airport pleasant and memorable.

According to statistics provided by the Rwanda Aviation Authority, the 400,000 passenger capacity Kigali International Airport is designed to handle, both domestic and international passenger numbers rose to 710,000 in 2016 with about 400 flights per week.

Since Kigali International Airport serves both domestic and international travel, a variety of airlines offer flights to Rwanda and connections to other countries. Rwandair, a significant international airline serving Rwanda, offers local, regional, and international travel. Akagera Aviation, a helicopter company that primarily offers chartered and helicopter flights, operates Rwanda’s other domestic flights.

Several airlines, including the national carrier Rwandair, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Egyptair, Brussels Airlines, and Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), regularly provide additional regional and international flights to and from Rwanda. Magma Aviation, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines all offer cargo services.

Transportation to and from Kigali International Airport is typically made by road through the city’s less-traveled roads in private cars, airport taxis for hire, or quick motorbikes (moto). However, you can make transportation arrangements through your booked hotel or a dependable tour operator that offers specialised airport pickup services that occasionally include meet and greet.

Rwanda is now building a new mega-international airport, The Bugesera International Airport, 25 kilometres south-east of Kigali city, in addition to the Kigali International Airport, whose geographical geography does not encourage additional growth and upgrading. The new airport, which is larger in size and being built to international standards, will have one runway with the option of adding a second one later. Among other reasons for its construction, the new airport is expected to complement this airport by handling higher passenger traffic of up to 3 million passengers annually and diverting traffic from Kigali International Airport.

The majority of tourists coming for adventure safaris within East Africa and across these stunning countries find it easier and more advantageous to use Kigali International Airport as their main entry before transiting to these other countries because Rwanda is a small landlocked country bordering Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania.