Rwanda will fully open aviation activities on August 1 under very strict conditions and measures to ensure safety of passengers, the Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente has said.
The Prime Minister yesterday told Parliament that the government is working to reopen commercial flights and this will only happen if the readiness is up to the mark.
After five months of Covid-19 in Rwanda, Ngirente said, the government cannot wait for the virus to be completely eliminated to open flights as earlier announced.
He said that there are many conditions that will be put in place, for example on passenger requirements, time to spend after the first tests and before traveling, touring the country, among others.
“We are preparing to reopen flights in Kigali but we won’t allow any mistake to be made. We shall closely monitor these activities,” Ngirente said.
In the re-opening plan, the PM said that Covid-19 test for air traveling will come with a cost of $50 (Rwf50,000) foreigners and $40 (Rwf40,000) for nationals since the government is already incurring the cost to conduct free tests locally.
“This charge for traveling out or into the country is like a contribution because it is very expensive to run tests. A single test cost $150 per person but we do it for free,” the PM explained.
The Minister of Health Dr. Daniel Ngamije also stated that Rwanda is readying for opening aviation operations but this will come with some new changes in the way flight staff dress, and some extra charges of managing travelers.
Without giving the whole criteria of the requirements, Ngamije who had accompanied the PM, outlined some of the steps that international travelers will have to keep in mind.
For example all passengers will be required to do a test in the host country 72 hours before traveling and submit it online.
On disembarking all will disinfect (clean) their shoes in chlorine liquid, undergo a Covid-19 screening, stay at one of the 10 designated isolation hotels (which they will pay for) as they wait for their results in 24 hours.
Ngamije said that air hosts and hostesses will also not be allowed to return to their homes and will be accommodated in designated residences for easy monitoring and testing but also be dressed in personal protective equipment (PPEs) to avoid risks of infections.
Sources told KTPress that early passengers are now receiving the Covid-19 Passenger Information Forms that have to be submitted to the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority.
Rwanda is among the 4 countries in Africa that have been allowed to fly passengers to the Schengen region. Other African countries are: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
