Qatar Airways has taken a majority stake in Rwanda’s new international Airport.

The deal between the Rwanda Government and Qatar’s national flag carrier, which was disclosed by the state-run Rwanda Development Board via Twitter yesterday (9 December), covers three agreements to build, own and operate the facility, located south east of Rwanda’s capital Kigali.

Valued at US$1.3bn, the two-phase construction project is tipped to handle an initial seven million passengers per year. This will rise to 14 million in phase 2, which expects to start by 2032.

According to a Reuters report, Rwanda’s infrastructure minister has suggested Qatar Airways could possibly assist in the expansion of RwandAir, another state-run enterprise.

TRBusiness has reached out to Qatar Airways and other sources for clarification and further comment.

As reported by TRBusiness, the Qatari Company for Airports and Management (Matar) had been negotiating with certain airports with a view to managing and operating airports, likely to be greenfield hubs.

Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority struck a contract with Matar to manage, operate and maintain Hamad International Airport earlier this year.

In a Twitter post, the Rwanda Development Board said: “The agreements […] mark a key milestone in the development of Rwanda’s vibrant aviation sector, in the context of the excellent bilateral relationship between Qatar and Rwanda.”