With construction works on the proposed international airport in Bugesera District back to pre-pandemic levels, the government is optimistic the facility could be ready for operations by 2023. 

Works fell behind schedule after Covid-19-related measures forced significant reduction in the number of workers on the site at any particular time but the restrictions have since been eased, said Infrastructure Minister Amb. Claver Gatete.

Rwanda has in the recent past seen consistent decline in Covid-19 cases in much of the country.

The first phase of the works is 40 per cent complete, Gatete told The New Times on the sidelines of a pan-African aviation summit in Kigali on Tuesday.

The works, he said, include the construction of the runway and other horizontal facilities.

The construction project is a joint effort between the Rwandan government and Qatar Airways, which owns a 6o per cent stake in the proposed airport.

The second phase of the works, Gatete said, is scheduled to start in two months’ time, and this will include construction of the terminals and other facilities.  

"We are now in the recruitment process,” he added.

While he warned of the continued uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 situation globally, Gatete said: "if all goes according to plan we envisage that all these activities will have been completed by 2023.”

Initial plan was to complete the project by end 2021.  

"We want to increase the speed at which we are working,” the minister said, adding that, besides Covid-19 restrictions, the other key factor behind delays in the construction works was redesigning the facility.  

"It was revised on several aspects but it has been finalised,” he noted.

Works on the proposed US$400 million airport began in 2017.

Once complete, the proposed airport is projected to have a passenger terminal covering 30,000 square metres, 22 check-in counters, 10 gates, six-passenger boarding bridges, with capacity to handle some 1.7 million passengers annually.

It is expected to boost Rwanda’s bid to become a major conference hub in the region.