(Posted 31st August 2022)
Organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Rwanda
will host Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition which will be co-located with the first ever SMIESA
(Salon Mondial des Infrastructures Equipments et Services Aéroportuaires) Event 2022, bringing
together Government officials, Aviation Leaders, Regulators, Policy Makers, Manufacturers and
Exhibitors from all over the world in Kigali.
The events will be held at Radisson Blu, Kigali Convention Centre, from 12-13 September 2022.
The Aviation Africa summit and Exhibition 2022 will look at driving revival as recovery strategies take
flight. Where will we go from here? – Shaping the future for aviation with light at the end of the tunnel.
Topics include maintenance, sustainability, future technology and safety.
SMIESA aim at stimulating technology transfer in Africa by promoting the establishment of
manufacturers (equipment and service providers), and promoting African airports and related services
under the themed: “supporting airport industry restart, addressing their needs and scale-up”.
During these events, Stakeholders in the aviation sector will share their experiences and lessons from
the past, discussing issues for how the industry can accelerate recovery, promote sustainability and
enhance the customer experience.
In addition, participants will reconnect old relationships, networking to make new ones and conclude
business contracts and agreements to boost the quick rebuild of the aviation industry in Africa after The Covid19 pandemic.
Co-organised by Times Aerospace Events, and Union des Gestionnaires d’Aéroports d’Afrique Centrale et
de l’Ouest (UGAACO), co-hosted by Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA), Rwanda Airports
Company (RAC), and officially supported by RwandAir as the African airline sponsor, the two-day
summits and Exhibition will be attended by over 1000 key airport and aviation representatives.
These include; World Business Partners, and government authorities, international aviation organizations
such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Airports Council International
(ACI).
RwandAir CEO, Yvonne Makolo, said: “RwandAir is very proud to officially support this year’s highly anticipated Aviation Africa summit and Exhibition 2022 in our home hub of Kigali and we warmly
welcome all participants. RwandAir’s reputation for safety and service excellence has helped foster Rwanda’s burgeoning aviation community and we want to encourage further development of a sector which will be key to Africa’s economic success in the future. RwandAir is committed to opening up Africa to the continent’s growing aviation sector, as well as offering more routes and highly competitive fares for all our customers across Africa and beyond.”
To celebrate the event, the Rwanda national carrier is offering a 10% saving off flights across its extensive
network on Economy and 12% discount on Business, booked between now and 13 September 2022 using
the special code AVAFS22 at rwandair.com.
Director General of RCAA, Silas Udahemuka, said: “The Aviation Africa Summit 2022 will position
Rwanda to enable it to become a major aviation player, particularly on the African continent.
“It will leverage Rwanda’s unique geographical location in the heart of Africa and act as a catalyst for the promotion of the country’s aviation sector in the region and beyond, as well as promoting the development of seamless collaboration and innovation technology.”
Rwanda Airports Company (RAC) Managing Director, Charles Habonimana, said: “It is exciting for
Rwanda to host the first ever SMIESA. The event will positively impact on the travel industry, tourism and labour markets, transport sector, and business in general and will ensure future continued use of Rwanda Airports. While we have all been heavily affected by the pandemic, participants will come up with the next quick wins that will support full recovery and prosper.”
SMIESA and Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition 2022 will include activities such as
Summits and facilitated meetings;
Exhibition of aircraft manufacturers,
MRO providers,
training facilities,
various airport products and services;
Sharing of information and experiences;
and, Networking and deal
negotiations.
At the end of the event, participants can explore the opportunities across the country in an organised Cultural Day
