Jerusalem, 07 January 2019:  Rwanda and the State of Israel have signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement as part of the Open Skies aviation reform. The agreement will allow the national carrier – RwandAir to operate direct flights to Ben Gurion International Airport.

The agreement was signed in Jerusalem by Rwandan ambassador to Israel H.E Col. Joseph Rutabana and the Israel's Transportation Minister Israel Katz following talks between the Civil Aviation Authorities of the two countries. H.E Ambassador Col. Joseph Rutabana informed Hon. Minister Katz that the Rwandan airline intends to start operating the new route in the coming months.

The new agreement allows for each country to operate up to seven weekly flights between Ben Gurion International Airport and Kigali International Airports, without restrictions regarding the planes’ type or capacity.

The signing of this Air Service Agreement comes after the President of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E. Paul Kagame and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed in September 2018 to open embassies in each other’s countries, amid a diplomatic flurry that has seen Jerusalem develop closer ties with other African nations.