• RwandAir adds two B737-800s and expects an A330-200 by year-end, expanding both short-haul regional capacity and long-haul connectivity, with implications for bellyhold cargo and trade facilitation.

• Narrow-body aircraft boost intra-African trade potential, especially for time-sensitive goods and e-commerce, while long-haul wide-body lift could reduce reliance on third-country hubs.

• Fleet growth must align with policy and infrastructure upgrades, including customs modernisation, SAATM implementation, cold-chain development, and digital integration, to unlock full cargo competitiveness.

RwandAir’s decision to strengthen its fleet with the delivery of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft and the expected arrival of an Airbus A330-200 later this year signals more than just a passenger capacity upgrade. It underscores the growing role of African carriers in shaping both regional connectivity and the continent’s long-delayed ambitions in air cargo. For Rwanda, a landlocked nation reliant on efficient trade corridors, the expansion raises questions about how airlines can balance passenger services with cargo integration in a fast-evolving aviation markets with emphasis on the future of African air cargo competitiveness, regulatory integration, and trade facilitation.

The move comes at a delicate juncture. Africa continues to lag behind other regions in cargo volumes, accounting for just 1.9% of global freight traffic in 2024 (IATA), despite holding 17% of the world’s population and being central to resource and agricultural supply chains. At the same time, RwandAir’s, with the re-entry of serviced aircraft and new deliveries, seeks to restore stability and scale capacity. 

Chief Executive Yvonne Makolo, in a public statement, acknowledged the recent challenges and emphasised that the strengthened fleet would “improve reliability, strengthen schedules, and deliver an even better travel experience.” While the comment was directed at passengers, the implications for bellyhold cargo capacity and logistics resilience are equally consequential. 

Narrow-body utility: frequency over scale 

The Boeing 737-800s, configured for 12 business class and 162 economy seats, bring modest but important cargo capacity—between 2 to 3 tonnes per flight. Their significance lies not in scale but in frequency, enabling short- and medium-haul services that are essential for time-sensitive intra-Africa trade, including pharmaceuticals, perishables, and increasingly, e-commerce. 

For many African economies, the bottleneck is not access to wide-body aircraft but the lack of regular, predictable narrow-body connectivity between secondary cities and regional hubs. According to the World Bank, logistics inefficiencies inflate African trade costs to 14–15% of GDP, compared with 8–10% in developed economies. Reliable short-haul bellyhold capacity is critical in reducing these costs, especially when road and rail networks remain constrained. 

The A330-200 and long-haul ambitions 

The expected delivery of a wide-body Airbus A330-200 in Q4 2025 could mark a structural shift. With a bellyhold capacity of up to 20 tonnes, the aircraft is suited for long-haul corridors to Europe, the Middle East, and potentially Asia. Direct lift from Kigali to higher-yield markets could allow exporters of Rwandan coffee, tea, and fresh produce—as well as transit cargo from neighbouring states—to bypass reliance on third-country hubs such as Dubai or Addis Ababa. 

However, this hinges on supporting infrastructure and regulatory readiness. Kigali’s new Bugesera International Airport, under construction and expected later this decade, is central to this ambition. Without parallel investments in cargo terminals, cold-chain facilities, and customs modernisation, additional capacity risks being underutilised.  

Regional policy context: SAATM and fragmented liberalisation 

RwandAir’s fleet decision is also linked to broader regional policy shifts. Under the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), 37 countries have pledged to liberalise intra-African traffic rights, but implementation has been uneven. While Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways have leveraged liberalised corridors to strengthen cargo networks, smaller carriers often struggle to access the scale required. 

For Rwanda, aligning its fleet expansion with SAATM’s framework could help establish Kigali as a secondary hub that complements, rather than competes directly with, Africa’s established giants. But this requires harmonised traffic rights, predictable customs regimes, and investment in digital systems. Without such reforms, the additional capacity risks being absorbed by passenger demand, leaving cargo potential underdeveloped. 

Cargo demand trends: mixed signals 

Recent WorldACD data underscores the unevenness of Africa’s cargo flows. In H1 2025: 

• Africa–Europe volumes grew by 6% year-on-year, driven largely by perishables. 

• Africa–Asia flows stagnated, reflecting both weak demand and limited uplift capacity. 

• E-commerce traffic within Africa is projected by IATA to grow at 15% annually through 2030, making bellyhold cargo on narrow-body aircraft increasingly relevant. 

These trends suggest that while long-haul wide-body capacity will capture headlines, the bulk of Africa’s near-term cargo growth lies in regional flows. Aligning RwandAir’s narrow-body additions with digitalised cargo handling processes could therefore be more impactful than a sole focus on long-haul prestige routes. 

Structural challenges: customs, digitalisation, sustainability 

Despite opportunities, systemic constraints remain. 

1. Customs and regulatory fragmentation – Many African states maintain divergent clearance procedures, leading to delays and unpredictability. By contrast, hubs such as Dubai or Singapore operate near-seamless borders with pre-arrival clearance and risk-based release. 

1. Digitalisation gaps – ICAO notes that while global adoption of e-Air Waybills (e-AWB) has exceeded 80%, Africa remains below 40%. The lack of harmonised cargo community systems adds costs and weakens transparency. 

1. Sustainability pressures – Global shippers are demanding verifiable emissions data. IATA forecasts that 65% of aviation’s decarbonisation by 2050 will rely on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Yet, Africa lacks a SAF production roadmap, and most carriers, including RwandAir, have yet to publish Scope 3 cargo emissions footprints. 

These issues suggest that fleet renewal, while important, cannot on its own deliver competitiveness. Policy reforms in trade facilitation, digital integration, and sustainability are essential complements. 

 Policy takeaways for stakeholders 

From a policy and industry standpoint, the RwandAir announcement highlights four priorities: 

• Narrow-body frequencies as trade enablers – Regular regional uplift for perishables and e-commerce may matter more for Africa’s competitiveness than occasional wide-body connections. 

• Integrating cargo into fleet strategy – Aircraft acquisitions should explicitly factor in bellyhold utility, cargo handling infrastructure, and compliance with regimes such as the EU’s ICS2. 

• Hub development needs regulatory alignment – Kigali’s ambition to be a hub requires coordinated customs modernisation and adoption of SAATM traffic rights. 

• Partnerships and scale – To match larger carriers, RwandAir may need deeper interline and code-share agreements, not only for passengers but for cargo flows. 

 Cautious optimism 

RwandAir’s leadership has portrayed the new deliveries as a return to operational stability. For air cargo professionals, the deeper question is whether Kigali can leverage this moment to position itself within Africa’s shifting trade and logistics landscape. 

If Rwanda succeeds in aligning fleet growth with regulatory reform, digital adoption, and cold-chain investment, Kigali could emerge as a credible secondary hub for East and Central Africa. Yet without coordinated policy action, much of the continent’s high-value cargo will likely continue to flow through entrenched hubs abroad. 

The takeaway for air cargo stakeholders is clear: fleet expansion alone is insufficient. Competitiveness will depend on how capacity is deployed, how regulatory frameworks evolve, and whether Africa can build digital and sustainable cargo ecosystems that rival global benchmarks.