New Bugesera International Airport

Project Title Master Plan, Conceptual & Preliminary Design
Airport New Bugesera International Airport
IATA / ICAO NBIA
Location Bugesera, Rwanda
Time Frame 2016 – 2018
Capacity [1] 1,8 MAP – [5] 5,7 MAP
Client Mota Engil Africa

Services:

  • Strategic Concept
  • Traffic Forecast
  • Business Plan
  • Master Plan
  • Conceptual Design
  • Preliminary Design

Objectives:
After the government of Rwanda has decided to construct a new airport for the capital region of Kigali with private partners, AIRPORT COMPETENCE has received an order for the financial and technical development from the main shareholder of the PPP-Project Mota Engil Africa. This Greenfield Project is located about 30 km south of the capital city of Kigali. Based on the airport master plan, airside manoeuvring areas and all relevant airport buildings were designed. New Bugesera International Airport was designed as the new Gateway of Rwanda with a modern infrastructure and state of the art passenger Terminal Building.

Master Plan
The site of the future Bugesera International Airport is located about 30 km south of the capital city of Kigali. Our involvement with the greenfield project began in April 2015 when we were tasked with delivering a Second Opinion to already available studies, which had all failed due to a misinterpretation of existing traffic pattern and too high investments upfront. Our outcome provided the client with a sound basis for the way forward. Following the receipt of our study, Mota Engil Africa enlisted our services to prepare a technical and financial proposal to the government of Rwanda including a master plan covering the airside system, all relevant airport facilities and landside development. The Bugesera International Airport was designed as a new gateway to Rwanda with a modern infrastructure and a state-of-the-art passenger terminal building.

Terminal Design
Having delivered a master plan for the Bugesera International Airport, we continued our work on the project under a Technical Services Agreement. The contract entailed the preparation of a concept and preliminary design for the passenger terminal building as well as ancillary airside and landside buildings. In this stage of the project, we collaborated with a team of sub-consultants in the fields of architecture, structural design, MEP and Special Airport Systems to deliver comprehensive designs. The state-of-the-art terminal building was designed for a capacity of 5 MAP with an extension possibility to 10 MAP. Its design was inspired by the Rwandan landscape with a special focus on the wavy roof clad with fiberglass elements. The roof geometry is a symbolic nod to the land of a thousand hills.

Presidential Terminal Design
The Technical Services Agreement for the Bugesera International Airport also entailed concept and preliminary designs for all relevant ancillary airport facilities including a presidential terminal, a GA terminal, a cargo terminal, an ATC tower and a GSE building among others. We delivered designs for the first development phase and demonstrated the extension possibilities for all facilities. The design of the presidential terminal stood out from the scope in terms of requirements due to an element of prestige next to functional aspects. Given the special nature of the facility, we arranged the required spaces around a ceremonial courtyard fit for diplomatic receptions. To assure a high level of security and privacy, we planned a dedicated taxiway leading to the presidential apron as well as a dedicated security check-point.