As part of the deal, RwandAir launched non-stop flights between its Kigali hub and Doha in December. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week gave Rwanda the coveted Category 1 status after it qualified for an International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA). Kenya qualified for one in 2018, allowing Kenya Airways to begin flying directly to US cities. The IASA programme normally focuses on a country’s ability to adhere to international aviation safety standards and recommended practices as set by ICAO, a UN technical agency for aviation. Joseph noted that when KQ was pushing to manage JKIA, they wanted to make it an East African commercial hub and attract traffic from other regions.

Source: Daily Nation December 11, 2022 15:28 UTC