Kigali, 08 June 2018: The United States’ Office of International Aviation has issued an order permitting Rwanda’s carrier, RwandAir to start flying US skies once the process is ratified by US President.

The order dated 30May 2018 says that along the process, the US Department of Transportation gave interested people 21 days to file objections to the Order. The office said that if no objections were filed, all further procedural steps would be deemed waived, and the Department would enter an order which would make final the findings and conclusions of the Order.

“We make final our findings and conclusions as stated in the Order and award to ‘RwandAir’ Limited Liability Company the foreign air carrier permit with associated conditions attached to the Order (and attached as the Appendix to the present order),” reads the order.

According to the order issued by the US Department of Transportation, the permit became effective on 29 May, 2018.

However, the order shall become effective on 61st after the day it was submitted to the President for review.

For direct flights, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to conduct an audit in September before Washington can give a green light.

 “Unless disapproved by the President of the United States under 49 U.S.C. §41307, this order shall become effective on the 61st day after its submission for section 41307 review or upon the date of receipt of advice from the President or his designee under Executive Order 12597 and implementing regulations that he or she does not intend to disapprove the Department’s order under that section, whichever occurs earlier,” reads the Order issued by Brian J. Hedberg, US Director Office of International Aviation.

Once RwandAir is authorized, according to the Order, will be able to engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of persons, property and mail from points behind Rwanda via Rwanda and intermediate points to a point or points in the United States of America of America and beyond.

It will also engage in scheduled foreign air transportation of property and mail between the United States and any point or points.

RwandAir will also engage in charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between any point or points in Rwanda and any point or points in the United States, and between any point or points in the United States of America and any point or points in a third country or countries, provided that, except with respect to cargo charters, such service constitutes part of a continuous operation, with or without a change of aircraft, that includes service to Rwanda for the purpose of carrying local traffic between Rwanda and the United States of America.

The FAA’s audit is a mandatory procedure for airlines seeking a permit to operate direct flights to the USA.  The airline applied for the permit in 28^th, March 2017.