A332 - Runway length for Take-Off
 

As my PPL has made me the "aviation expert" in the family, I get all sorts of questions and with christmas parties comming up I need help on this one.

Why do the european carriers (Brussels and KLM) servicing Kigali, Rwanda make a stop in Nairobi or Entebbe ? Is it:
1) To fill the plane with passengers.
2) The runway at Kigali (3500 mtrs - elev: 4900' - temp: 20-25°C) is too short for a full aircraft to depart with fuel for Brussels or Amsterdam - so they need the longer runways at Nairobi and Entebbe
3) Facillites (or lack of) for the crew laying over.
4) Fuel prices at Kigali, as the fuel has to be trucked a looong way.

1) and 3) depends on the actual situation, but can anyone clarify on 2) ?

I would think that bulk fuel availability, let alone price, at Kigali may be the most likely issue. This happens elsewhere in Africa as well.

Nairobi is higher than Kigali.

Could be the same reason KLM never used to night-stop in Lima. i.e. the crews wouldn't stay in Lima due to safety fears. They used to lay over in the sunny caribbean and due a Bonaire-Lima-Bonaire sector instead.

How secure is Kigali ?

WHBM: oh yes - I did not think of fuel availability and resulting pricing.
With 8-9 weekly flights each uplifting 50 ? tonnes - you would need quite a convoy to haul the fuel from the east coast (Mombasa or Dar I assume).

I would not consider Kigali insecure - not more than Kampala, Nairobi or certain parts of Copenhagen - but I don't know if there are suitable hotels (quiet enough for sleeping during the day for a night flight) available.