KIGALI - Picewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), a global professional services firm, has taken on the Bugesera International Airport project, with the aim of marketing its development, the Minister of Infrastructure has revealed.

Vincent Karega said in an interview, yesterday, that the firm is working on the already designed plan to show how important the newly anticipated airport is to the region.

The state-of-the-art airport was designed by a British engineering company, TPS Consult last year.

"PricewaterhouseCoopers are currently working on the project and will embark on showing important features of the airport to attract investors for the development of the project,” the minister said.

Government targets developing the multi-million dollar project as a Public Private Partnership.

Karega added that five investors have so far expressed interest in the project and have since submitted their documents.

"Five investors have already sent their information to us, but I cannot mention them because they have not yet been confirmed,” he said. Construction of the project, that will cost US$635 million, is expected to start in 2012.

"In 2011 we will be mobilizing money for the construction so that by 2012, the construction begins,” he noted.

According to the ministry, the airport is designed to accommodate 450 passengers per peak hour and over 1 million annually during its first phase. It will have the capacity to handle 15,500 tonnes of cargo annually with eight flight movement per hour.

The airport will have the capacity of hosting the long-range, wide-body twin-engine Boeing 777 which the current Kigali International Airport cannot accommodate in its current state.

Bugesera International Airport will be the only one in the region that has the capacity to accommodate such aircrafts.

Other features of the facility include a two storied presidential terminal.

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