This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On December 11, 2019, a significant development in the aviation sector was announced, with Qatar Airways set to take a 60% stake in a new Sh131 billion airport in Rwanda.
The new Bugesera International Airport, located outside Kigali, is expected to handle 14 million passengers annually, double the current capacity of JKIA.
The partnership between Kigali and Doha will involve building, owning, and operating the new airport, which will initially have a capacity of seven million passengers a year.
According to a statement, the new airport is being redesigned to accommodate seven million passengers per year, with a second phase for 14 million passengers a year expected to start by 2032.
Analysts have noted that JKIA will need to strategize and align itself with developments in the region to maintain its competitive edge as a leading aviation hub.
One of JKIA's advantages is that many multinational businesses, international agencies, and non-governmental organizations have their regional headquarters in Nairobi, which was recently ranked as the best city to work in Africa.
At Sh131 billion, Kigali's proposed airport will be more than double the investment that Kenya would have invested in the now-cancelled Green Field Terminal at the JKIA.
Transport Secretary James Macharia cancelled the Green Field Terminal in 2016, citing a lack of value for money and sufficient existing capacity to handle an increase in passengers.
