Kigali International Airport

KGL HRYR  Kigali, RW

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KGL at a glance

  • What it is: Kigali International Airport is a regional airport serving Kigali, RW.
  • Codes: KGL on your ticket, HRYR on the radar.
  • Size: 1 runway at 4,859 ft above sea level.
  • Local time zone: Africa/Kigali (UTC+2), so every time shown for KGL is local rather than UTC.
1
Runways
4859 ft
Field elevation

About Kigali International Airport

Kigali International Airport lies in the tropics at 1.97° S, 30.14° E, on Africa/Kigali time (UTC+2). Tropical airports contend with heat and humidity, both of which thin the air and lengthen takeoff runs, and with convective storms that build fast in the afternoon.

Kigali International Airport has 1 runway. The longest, 10/28, measures 11,483 ft by 148 ft, which puts the field in the long-haul capable category: widebodies operate comfortably, though the very longest sectors may need a payload trade. The surface is asphalt. It is lit for night operations.

Runway 10/28 is aligned roughly east/west, which is the clearest hint you get about the prevailing wind here: runways are built to face the wind that blows most often, because aircraft take off and land into it. Every runway here shares that east/west alignment, so a strong crosswind means a crosswind landing rather than a switch to another strip.

The field sits at 4,859 ft, high enough that density altitude matters. Takeoff runs stretch on warm afternoons and climb performance is weaker than the same aircraft would manage at sea level.

Runways at KGL

RunwayLengthWidthSurfaceLighting
10/28 11,483 ft (3,500 m) 148 ft Asphalt Lit

Runway numbers are the magnetic heading rounded to ten degrees, which is why they change when the magnetic field drifts - runway numbers explained.

Airports near KGL

Great-circle distance from Kigali International Airport, closest first.

AirportCodeDistanceDirectionCity
Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye BJM 176 km south-west Bujumbura
Entebbe EBB 340 km north-east Entebbe
IATA / ICAO
KGL / HRYR
Location
Kigali, RW -1.969, 30.140
Time zone
Africa/Kigali
Opened

Nearby and related airports

Geographically close airports and useful alternatives in RW.

More airports and guides connected to KGL

Thin mountain air changes how planes take off here, which cruising altitude explained unpacks. The codes KGL and HRYR are explained in airport codes decoded.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

This profile is generated from the airport's published coordinates, elevation and runway records. It does not claim live terminal or passenger totals.

Read our airport data sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Frequently asked questions about KGL

What is the airport code for Kigali International Airport?

Kigali International Airport uses the IATA code KGL on tickets and baggage tags, and the ICAO code HRYR in flight plans and on radar. The leading “H” in HRYR is the region marker: ICAO codes are grouped geographically, which is why airports near each other usually share their first letter or two while their IATA codes look unrelated.

How many runways does KGL have?

Kigali International Airport operates 1 runway. The field sits at 4,859 ft above sea level.

What time zone is KGL in?

Kigali International Airport operates on Africa/Kigali local time. Scheduled departure and arrival times for this airport are always published in local time, not UTC.

Can I track flights at KGL live?

Yes. The map on this page shows every aircraft broadcasting its position within about 55 km of Kigali International Airport. The boards split them into departures, arrivals and traffic passing overhead, all timed in Africa/Kigali.