RwandAir's dedicated Dubai freighter service
RwandAir Cargo operates a dedicated Boeing 737-800 converted freighter on the Dubai route, part of an expansion that grew the airline's cargo network to seven destinations and strengthened its role as a cargo connection between the Middle East and the East African region.
Passenger route capacity too
Alongside dedicated freighter capacity, RwandAir resumed scheduled passenger services between Kigali and Dubai from June 2026, adding belly-hold cargo capacity on top of the freighter service — useful for smaller shipments that don't need a full freighter booking.
Why Dubai matters as a freight hub
Dubai functions as a major re-export and consolidation hub, meaning goods sourced from across Asia, the Middle East and Europe often pass through Dubai before continuing to East Africa — making a direct Dubai-Kigali route valuable even for cargo that didn't originate in the UAE itself.
Transit time and cost expectations
As with any air freight, Dubai-Kigali cargo moves in a matter of days rather than the weeks required for sea freight, at a correspondingly higher cost per kilogram. This makes it well-suited to time-sensitive shipments, and the dedicated freighter service can also handle larger or heavier cargo than typical belly-hold capacity alone.
Customs on arrival in Kigali
Cargo arriving via Dubai clears through the same process as any air shipment — an airway bill, commercial invoice and packing list feeding into the declaration your clearing agent lodges through the Electronic Single Window, with duty and VAT assessed on the CIF value once the goods land at Kigali International Airport.
Dubai is one of RwandAir's strongest cargo connections — here's what that means for businesses shipping from the UAE.