The geopolitical disruption in the Middle East is beginning to reshape cargo flows into and across Africa, with Kigali emerging as an alternative routing point as shippers seek to avoid increasingly exposed trade corridors.
According to Bosco Gakwaya, director of cargo services at RwandAir’s freight division, instability in the Gulf forced rapid contingency planning across the carrier’s cargo network and reinforced the strategic value of Kigali’s location in the centre of Africa.
“The disruptions in the Gulf were obviously significant for the industry as a whole, and we moved quickly to protect our customers’ supply chains,” he told The Loadstar.
“This triggered immediate flight suspensions across the region. Our teams were in contact with forwarding partners within hours to identify alternative routings for time critical consignments.”
The comments offer a rare glimpse into how African carriers are responding to geopolitical volatility that has repeatedly disrupted global air cargo supply chains over the past year.
While the Gulf crisis affected operators worldwide, RwandAir believes the fallout has accelerated a broader rethink around routing resilience and hub diversification, particularly for cargo moving between Africa, Europe and Asia.
“The disruption has also driven a modal shift from sea to air, which has brought new cargo onto our network,” said Mr Gakwaya.
“The situation has reinforced what we have long believed: that Kigali’s position at the heart of Africa, away from the world’s most exposed trade corridors, is a strategic asset, and one that more customers are now recognising.”
That positioning is becoming increasingly important as African airlines compete to establish regional cargo hubs capable of handling rising intra-Africa trade, perishables exports and fast-growing e-commerce flows.
Perishables remain central to RwandAir’s cargo operation, particularly exports into Europe, the Middle East and the UK. The airline said Africa-Europe volumes increased by around 6% year on year in the first half of 2025, driven largely by perishables traffic.
At the same time, pharmaceuticals are becoming a larger component of inbound freight into Rwanda and neighbouring markets.
“We bring critical medicines and healthcare products into Rwanda and the wider region on return sectors, and our handling standards reflect the care those shipments require,” added Mr Gakwaya.
In the meantime, the airline is focusing on continuously improving cold chain handling and cargo processing at the Kigali facility.
“Temperature integrity and ground dwell times matter as much as aircraft capacity for the perishables and pharma customers we serve,” he said.
The carrier also sees significant long term growth potential in e-commerce, particularly as African online retail volumes continue to expand.
Mr Gakwaya said IATA forecasts intra African e-commerce traffic would expand by 15% a year through to 2030, with RwandAir’s growing narrowbody network giving the carrier the frequency and consistency needed to support rising shipper demand.
The airline has been expanding its dedicated cargo operations as it looks to deepen connectivity within Africa and beyond. RwandAir launched freighter services to Dubai and Djibouti in 2024, using a B737 800 converted freighter, complementing bellyhold capacity across its passenger network.
According to Mr Gakwaya, the combination gives the airline operational flexibility across multiple cargo segments, from perishables to e-commerce shipments.
Looking ahead, he sees East and Central Africa as underdeveloped cargo markets with significant growth potential, while also identifying the Africa-Asia corridor as an area of increasing strategic importance.
“One to watch, with air freight volumes growing around 9.5% year on year in late 2025, and we are well placed to develop services that connect African exporters to Asian markets through Kigali,” Mr Gakwaya said.
The long-term vision for Kigali’s cargo ambitions is tied closely to the planned Bugesera International Airport, which is expected to open around the end of 2028.
The new airport, located about 40km south of Kigali, is expected to significantly expand Rwanda’s cargo handling capacity and transit potential at a time when several African states are attempting to strengthen logistics infrastructure in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“There’s a lot happening in Kigali at the moment, and it’s all very much aligned with our cargo growth plans,” Mr Gakwaya said.
Alongside physical infrastructure investment, RwandAir is also pushing ahead with digitalisation across its cargo division, including deployment of Cargo Flash Infotech’s cloud-based nGen cargo management platform.
The airline said the system supported booking, documentation, warehouse management, tracking, and final delivery, while also supporting future compatibility with IATA’s ONE Record cargo data exchange standard.
“The direction of travel is clear: shippers want transparency and real-time data, and we are building the systems to deliver exactly that,” said Mr Gakwaya.
