RwandAir Airbus A330-243 resting on a remote stand at London Heathrow Airport before its evening departure back to Kigali. 03 May 2026
KIGALI – Rwanda has ratified air services agreements with the United Kingdom and eight other countries, allowing airlines from the countries to operate scheduled flights under agreed conditions.
The agreements have been published in Official Gazettes this October 2026.
The agreement with the UK was signed in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on 10 November 2025.
Rwanda’s ambassador, Prosper Higiro, signed on behalf of Rwanda, while Mark Bosly, the UK’s Chief Air Services Negotiator, signed for the British government.
Parliament approved the agreement through Law No. 051/2026, before President Paul Kagame ratified it through Presidential Order No. 064/01 of 9 September 2026.
National carrier RwandAir has operated flights between Kigali and London for several years.
It resumed services to the UK in October 2020, moving its London operations from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow, one of Europe’s major aviation hubs.
The ratification does not mean RwandAir can begin flying to the UK for the first time. Instead, the agreement establishes a formal framework governing air services between the two countries
Under the agreement, airlines designated by either country can operate scheduled passenger and cargo flights between Rwanda and the UK, with the option of stopping in other countries or continuing to destinations beyond either country.
Airlines can set their own fares, flight frequencies and capacity without seeking government approval. They can also establish offices, sell tickets in local markets and transfer their earnings abroad.
The agreement provides for exemptions from customs duties on aircraft, fuel and spare parts used in international air services. It also sets out requirements for aviation safety and security and procedures for resolving disputes, including binding arbitration.
The other eight agreements cover Algeria, Azerbaijan, Botswana, Costa Rica, Guyana, Morocco, Senegal, and Trinidad and Tobago.
They were signed on the following dates and locations:
- Algeria: Algiers, 3 June 2025.
- Azerbaijan: Baku, 20 September 2025.
- Guyana: Montreal, 25 September 2025.
- Botswana: Gaborone, 6 May 2026.
- Costa Rica: Punta Cana, 11 November 2025.
- Morocco: Montreal, 25 September 2025.
- Senegal: Kigali, 8 September 2025.
- Trinidad and Tobago: New York, 27 September 2025.
The air services agreements will take effect after both countries confirm through diplomatic notes that they have completed their respective domestic approval procedures. Rwanda’s ratification completes only its own part of that process.
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