{"id":54151,"date":"2025-05-12T12:09:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T12:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/pm-ngirente-urges-regional-collaboration-to-unlock-aviation-s-economic\/"},"modified":"2025-05-13T14:36:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T14:36:08","slug":"pm-ngirente-urges-regional-collaboration-to-unlock-aviation-s-economic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/pm-ngirente-urges-regional-collaboration-to-unlock-aviation-s-economic\/","title":{"rendered":"PM Ngirente urges regional collaboration to unlock aviation\u2019s economic potential"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Ngirente made the remarks during the official opening of the 13th Aviation Stakeholders Convention at the Kigali Convention Centre on Monday, May 12, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing aviation leaders and policymakers from across the continent, Ngirente underscored the importance of collective efforts in shaping the future of African air travel. He said initiatives such as the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are vital frameworks that require improved air connectivity to deliver on their promise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRwanda\u2019s ambitions do not exist in isolation, and we all know that Africa\u2019s growth is interconnected,\u201d Ngirente stated. \u201cAn integrated African airspace will lower costs, improve competition, and unlock economic opportunities across the continent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Prime Minister praised RwandAir\u2019s role in connecting Africa to the world, describing it as one of the fastest-growing airlines on the continent, now reaching over 100 destinations through direct and codeshare routes. He noted the airline\u2019s growing popularity among young people, with nearly 2,000 applicants for its cadet pilot programme this year alone.<\/p>\n<p>Ngirente reaffirmed Rwanda\u2019s commitment to investing in aviation infrastructure, including the expansion of Kigali International Airport and construction of the new Bugesera International Airport. These, he said, are more than transport projects\u2014they are \u201ceconomic multipliers\u201d supporting trade, tourism, and employment.<\/p>\n<p>The new Bugesera International Airport, being constructed in partnership with Qatar Airways, is expected to be completed by 2028 at a cost of $2 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Calling on governments and industry players alike, the Prime Minister urged the creation of stable, transparent environments to foster innovation, cross-border cooperation, and sustainable growth within the aviation sector.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must turn today\u2019s commitments into real progress for the millions of Africans who will benefit from a connected, competitive, and sustainable aviation sector,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The convention, organised by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in partnership with RwandAir, brings together stakeholders to explore strategies for innovation and sustainability under the theme \u201cSustainability. Collaborate. Innovate.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87029 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gqvmcddx0aacaka.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Ngirente appealed for regional collaboration during the official opening of the 13th Aviation Stakeholders Convention at the Kigali Convention Centre on Monday, May 12, 2025.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87027 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gqvmcexxwaaxlam.jpg\" alt=\"The convention, organised by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in partnership with RwandAir, brings together stakeholders to explore strategies for innovation and sustainability under the theme \u201cSustainability. Collaborate. Innovate.\u201d\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-87028 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/gqvmcfhxsae0hb7.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rwanda\u2019s Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente, has called for stronger regional collaboration as a driving force behind unlocking Africa\u2019s aviation and broader economic potential. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000087025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-54151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000087025,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gqvmcddx0aacaka.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gqvmcddx0aacaka.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gqvmcddx0aacaka.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gqvmcddx0aacaka.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gqvmcddx0aacaka.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gqvmcddx0aacaka.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54151\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000087025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54151"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=54151"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=54151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}