Rwandan President Paul Kagame has broken ground to begin construction on the new $818m Bugesera International Airport (BIA) in Rwanda’s Eastern Province.

The new airport is being built to handle the rising air traffic in the country, as well as bolster intra-African travel, investment and business.

Kagame said: “Bugesera Airport is an important part of Rwanda’s strategy for socio-economic transformation.

“Rwandans to whom we are accountable are used to having high expectations and trust us to deliver. This will be no different.”

From Airport Technology.

Slated to be completed by December next year, the first phase of the construction will cost $418m and increase the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity to 1.8 million.

During the second phase, which is valued at $400m, a wide range of extension works will be carried out at the airport, reported KTPress.

In September 2016, the Government of Rwanda concluded negotiations for a public private partnership transaction with Mota-Engil Africa and Aviation Travel & Logistics for the development and delivery of the new Bugesera Airport.