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Hajj pilgrimage: Uganda Airlines makes maiden flight to Mecca
A Pilgrim boards the Uganda Airlines Airbus A330. (L-R) the Minister of Works and Transport Gen. Katumba Wamala, third Deputy Premier Ms Rukia Isanga Nakadama and the Ambassador of Royal kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to Uganda Sheikh Jamal Al – Madani flagging off the Pilgrims to Mecca for Hajj on June 19 at Entebbe Airport. Photo/Paul Adude.
What you need to know:
- Bamuturaki said the direct flight will shorten the pilgrim’s flight time and avoid inconveniences experienced at intermediary airports.
Uganda Airlines Airbus A330 has made the maiden flight to Mecca, Westerns Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest city in Islam for Hajj. The first flight left Entebbe International Airport on June 19.
Gen. Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport flagged of about 250 pilgrims at Entebbe for Jeddah after about 40 years off the route.
The airline expects to transport 500 pilgrims to Jeddah ahead of plans for regular direct flights to Saudi Arabia this year.
Uganda Airlines plans to ease movement for passengers and pilgrims who intend to make the trip to Mecca for Hajj every year.
“In the past our pilgrims have been going through transit routes, sometimes through Khartoum. I think you will remember what happened when they were in Khartoum recently on the way to Mecca, this is an opportunity for them to travel direct” he said.
Dignitaries including the Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Uganda, Sheikh Jamal Al - Madani, third Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Rukia Isanga Nakadama, among others officiated over the flagging off of the muslim pilgrims on June 19.
“You saw some of the pilgrims who were going, some are elderly, some may have language barriers but on the flight they can communicate in the local languages with our flight attendants” Gen Katumba said.
Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waisswa, the second deputy Mufti appreciated the progress made by the national carrier to take pilgrims to Mecca.
“Uganda used to take many pilgrims to Mecca to perform Hajj, we are grateful to the airline and hope it will enable many Ugandans to go and make the pilgrimage especially the unwell and elderly” he said.
Ms Jenifer Bamuturaki, the Chief Executive Officer, Uganda Airlines said the inaugural flight to Jeddah will be the first for the national carrier to perform the holy operation in over 40 years.
Bamuturaki said the direct flight will shorten the pilgrim’s flight time and avoid inconveniences experienced at intermediary airports. The airline will fly the pilgrims back to Uganda after Hajj.
The airline has an operator’s permit valid till July 2023 with scheduled flights expected to be launched between Jeddah and Entebbe.
“The operator’s permit we have will run up to July, then we will extend to July next year. We have a plan to start scheduled flights in September, we will be doing Jeddah three times a week” she said.
Bamuturaki added, “Internally we are grappling with when to launch since we are working with many stakeholders. We already have a sales organization set up in Saudi, a general sales agent representing us. We are doing everything towards the launch of flights, we wouldn’t go beyond September.”
