Rwanda: Inauguration of human transport drones

Rwanda unveiled passenger drones on September 3, the first of their kind in Africa. The event took place just hours before the start of the Aviation Africa 25 conference on air transport development.

The aircraft launched in Rwanda are known as ‘eVTOL’ and run 100% on electricity.

The aircraft can carry two people. It can also move over 620 kg of cargo. It can travel 30 km in the air and fly for 25 minutes before depleting its electrical charge.

It can fly at an altitude of 100 meters. It is equipped with 12 tires distributed over its four legs. Most importantly, it has technology that allows it to detect obstacles in the air.

This drone can fly at an altitude of 100 meters.

Melissa Rusanganwa, head of international trade at the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA), was the first to fly the drone.

She said she was very amazed.

“Everything went well. I was safe. They started by checking that the plane was in good condition, then they gave us instructions to follow during the flight. This is a new technology in the field of air transport that will connect people living in different regions,” she said happily.

She added that these planes will also contribute to the development of tourism in Rwanda, by making it easier for visitors to reach various newly constructed areas.

These planes will also contribute to the development of tourism in Rwanda. Melissa Rusanganwa (Left)

Melissa Rusanganwa also stressed that this was the best way to promote environmentally friendly transport, as these planes are 100% electric.

“We started with drones that transport goods, especially medicines and blood to hospitals. This is another area we have entered that will contribute to tourism and help us achieve our goal of reducing greenhouse gases,” she said.

A drone of this type costs $400,000. Rwanda is the 21st country to receive these devices.

The country of a thousand hills plans to develop drone air transport, to the point that it has even built a drone piloting center that should be of international standard, the ”Drone Operation Center”.

The land of a thousand hills plans to develop drone air transport

Once completed, the center will cost 13.4 billion Rwandan francs. It will be built in the Southern Province, in Huye district, on the site of the former airport.

It will be able to accommodate all types of drones, including those as large as helicopters, with a wingspan of 18 to 20 meters. Due to the size of the drones, this center will have a capacity to accommodate 3,000 drones at a time.