• RwandAir has adopted Cargo Flash’s cloud-based nGen ICMS to modernise its cargo operations, enabling end-to-end automation, improved visibility, and greater scalability across its growing cargo network.
• The move reflects a broader trend among African and emerging-market carriers to invest in modular digital platforms that enhance efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness without heavy capital expenditure.
• By positioning cargo digitisation as a strategic enabler rather than a standalone IT upgrade, RwandAir aims to strengthen service reliability and support Kigali’s development as a regional air logistics hub.

RwandAir has taken a further step in modernising its cargo operations with the adoption of Cargo Flash’s next-generation Integrated Cargo Management System (nGen ICMS), signalling a broader push by African carriers to strengthen digital infrastructure amid rising competitive and operational pressures in global air freight.

The Kigali-based airline has partnered with Delhi NCR–headquartered Cargo Flash Infotech to deploy the fully cloud-based platform across its cargo division, enabling end-to-end automation of core processes ranging from booking and documentation to warehouse management, tracking and final delivery. The move forms part of RwandAir’s wider strategy to improve operational visibility, service reliability and scalability as cargo volumes across Africa continue to grow.

For African airlines, cargo digitisation has become increasingly central to competitiveness. According to IATA, Africa accounts for less than 2% of global air cargo volumes, yet demand is growing faster than the global average, driven by perishables, pharmaceuticals and cross-border e-commerce. In this context, airlines with limited legacy systems are increasingly turning to modular, cloud-based platforms to improve speed, accuracy and transparency without heavy capital expenditure.

Cargo Flash’s nGen ICMS is designed as a unified digital backbone, providing real-time shipment visibility and centralised data access across cargo workflows. For RwandAir, this is expected to support more agile decision-making and improve coordination across stations, partners and customers, particularly as the airline expands its regional and intercontinental cargo footprint from its Kigali hub.

Ms Neha Kumari, Vice President – SaaS Products at Cargo Flash, said the partnership reflected a shared focus on modernising air cargo operations through technology-led transformation, noting that the platform enables greater transparency and control across the shipment lifecycle.

From the airline’s perspective, the implementation is positioned as an operational enabler rather than a technology upgrade alone. Mr Gakwaya Bosco, Director Cargo Services at RwandAir, described the system as a strategic step towards improving efficiency and service standards, while reinforcing the airline’s ambition to operate as a modern, customer-focused cargo carrier.

RwandAir Chief Executive Ms Yvonne Makolo highlighted the role of digital integration in supporting cargo growth, stating that the platform would enhance data-driven decision-making and allow the airline to scale its cargo services more effectively.

The deployment reflects a wider trend among mid-sized and emerging-market carriers, which are increasingly investing in digital cargo platforms to support network growth, manage complexity and meet rising shipper expectations for visibility and reliability. As African air cargo markets mature, technology adoption is likely to become a key differentiator between carriers competing for time-sensitive and high-value freight flows.

For RwandAir, the partnership with Cargo Flash places cargo digitalisation firmly at the centre of its operational strategy, reinforcing Kigali’s ambition to develop into a more efficient and connected air logistics hub for the region.