17 May 2026

ASECNA and Rwanda Sign Agreements to Advance Kigali Airport Readiness and African Satellite Navigation

ASECNA and the Republic of Rwanda have signed two major agreements in Kigali covering the operationalisation of New Kigali International Airport and Rwanda’s role in the ANGA satellite navigation programme.

dg min industrie commerce rw — Prosper Zo’o Minto’o, Director General of ASECNA, with Mr Prudence Sebahizi, Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry.

Why this article matters
The agreements place Rwanda at the centre of two strategic aviation and technology priorities: the operational readiness of New Kigali International Airport and the development of African satellite navigation capability. ASECNA’s support for airspace design, operational manuals, air navigation aid calibration and specialised training is directly linked to the airport’s compliance with international standards for safety, efficiency and quality of service.

The ANGA programme adds a wider continental dimension. By hosting the Mission Control Centre responsible for processing GNSS data from GPS and Galileo, Rwanda becomes a key participant in Africa’s move towards sovereign satellite navigation services. The programme is expected to support precision approaches without ground infrastructure, improve flight safety, reduce delays and diversions, and lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, with benefits also extending to agriculture, maritime activities and mapping.

ASECNA and the Republic of Rwanda signed two major agreements in Kigali on 7 May 2026, focused on strengthening civil aviation operational capabilities and advancing African expertise in satellite and space technologies. The agreements were signed by Mr Prosper Zo’o Minto’o, Director General of ASECNA, with Mr Prudence Sebahizi, Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, and Dr Jimmy Gasore, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure.

dg min infrastructures rw — Prosper Zo’o Minto’o, Director General of ASECNA with Dr Jimmy Gasore, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure.

The first agreement concerns the operationalisation of the New Kigali International Airport. ASECNA will support Rwanda in ensuring that the airport infrastructure complies with international standards of safety, efficiency and quality of service. This support will cover the design and organisation of airspace, the development of operational manuals, the calibration of air navigation aids and the implementation of specialised training programmes, with particular emphasis on human capital development.

The second agreement covers the ANGA, or Augmented Navigation for Africa, programme and space cooperation with the Rwanda Space Agency. Under this cooperation, Rwanda becomes a key player in the programme by hosting the Mission Control Centre responsible for processing GNSS data from GPS and Galileo.

ANGA is a flagship initiative led by ASECNA member states and recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organization. It aims to equip Africa with sovereign satellite navigation service capabilities through a Satellite-Based Augmentation System, enabling high-precision positioning and navigation applications.

By 2030, ANGA services are expected to support precision approaches without ground infrastructure, improve flight safety, reduce flight delays and diversions, and decrease fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The source copy also notes that the benefits of SBAS extend beyond civil aviation to agriculture, maritime activities and mapping.

Through these agreements, ASECNA and Rwanda are advancing a shared ambition to build African aviation and space capabilities around excellence, innovation and technological sovereignty.