Today marks a new dawn for the local aviation industry with the official launch of the construction works of the proposed Bugesera International Airport.

Conceptualised back in 2009, the $818 million (Rwf695.3 billion) facility will serve as the main airport for the country on completion. Right infrastructure is a central hallmark for the aviation industry and plays a major role in attracting more players and airlines.

Only last week, Rwanda and Benin signed a deal to start a joint airline in coming months. The jointly-owned airline will be based in Cotonou, and will operate routes in West Africa. The two developments demonstrate Rwanda’s ambition to becoming a key player in the continental and global aviation industry.

On completion of the first phase in December 2018, Bugesera Airport will be able to handle 1.7 million travelers per year. This will later increase to 4.5 million passengers annually after the second phase.

Rwanda targets to generate $444 million in 2017 from tourism and the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) sub-sector. Therefore, the new modern facility will support the country’s efforts to attract more visitors and to global conferences under its MICE strategic plan as the airport will increase global connectivity. It will also boost the country’s ambition of becoming an aviation hub on the continent.

It is, however, important that the relevant agencies ensure close supervision of works to ensure the project is delivered in time and meets global quality and safety standards. This is especially so as the developer, Mota-Engil Africa, a Portuguese-based firm, has a 25-year concession to operate the facility that is being developed under aprivate-public partnership arrangement.