President Paul Kagame on Wednesday met with Prosper Zo’o Minto’o, head of the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), ahead of a major aviation summit opening this week in Kigali.
Kagame welcomed Minto’o at Village Urugwiro as the Rwandan capital prepares to host the 9th Aviation Africa Summit & Exhibition from Sept. 4 to 5. Their talks focused on ASECNA’s role in improving air safety across the continent and Rwanda’s growing use of drones for economic and medical services.
The conference, organized with the support of the Rwandan government, the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority and RwandAir, is expected to draw government officials, civil aviation regulators, airline executives, airport operators, aircraft manufacturers and service providers.
This year’s meeting is centered on the theme, “Partnerships to Overcome Challenges Hindering Aviation Growth.” Organizers say the aim is to highlight collaboration as key to unlocking opportunities for the sector.
Among the keynote speakers is RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo, who will outline the airline’s expansion strategy. She is also expected to highlight progress on the new Kigali International Airport in Bugesera, set to open in 2028 with capacity for 8 million passengers annually in its first phase.
The facility, designed with a 130,000-square-meter terminal, will eventually expand to handle more than 14 million passengers a year and process up to 150,000 tons of cargo.
