Uganda Airlines spreads wings to new destinations

During the launch in Kampala, Ms Jenifer Bamuturaki, the chief executive officer of the airline, yesterday said the expansion is a well-thought-out strategic plan.

“The airline is excited to announce yet another milestone: the triple launch of three routes, Abuja, Lusaka, and Harare, this summer, September 2024,”Ms Bamuturaki said.

She added: “Launching these routes marks the successful conclusion of our three-year strategic plan, paving the way for the next phase of our 10-year rolling plan. This strategic approach ensures that our expansion is not just a leap of faith but a well-thought-out progression.”

The three new routes are in addition to the existing ones such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salam, Bujumbura, Johannesburg, Dubai, Zanzibar, Lagos, Kinshasa, Mumbai, Mogadishu, Juba, and Kilimanjaro.

Ms Bamuturaki explained that the entry into these markets is meant to build an efficient and optimise the regional market to feed and finance a more profitable long-haul market; improve utilisation of the aircraft fleet, create a robust regional network that will serve as a feeder for the airline’s long-haul market, especially London, and most importantly support Uganda Airline’s Africa network connectivity.

“We aspire to bridge the geographical gaps and connect the East to the West, North and South of Africa. This vision guides our route expansion, which is carefully guided by feasibility studies pointing us to underserved routes,” she said.

Ms Bamuturaki added: “The airline has stayed true to its… connectivity objectives, and this is demonstrated by the recent increase in the frequency of our flights—we now operate 19 flights a day contributing to 20 percent traffic at Entebbe airport—our enhanced revenue growth, cargo operations acceleration, and service scale. The network expansion is positioning the airline for profitability in the long run.”

Speaking at the same launch, Mr Adedayo Olawuyi, the chief commercial officer of Uganda Airlines, said the new routes are aimed at creating strong regional connectivity and also tapping into the under-served aviation market.

Particularly on Abuja, Mr Adedayo reasoned that since Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa, there was a need to introduce a second route after Lagos, which was launched late last year.

“Abuja is still the capital of Nigeria and Nigeria is one of the largest economies in Africa today, which means there are a lot of opportunities for business, trade, investment, and for all the different sectors that can drive air transport demand,”he  explained.

Mr Olawuyi added: “If you look at the map of Nigeria…. Abuja sits right in the centre of the country, which will now give us the opportunity to connect more efficiently to the north and the central part of the country.”

The launch of the additional three routes comes at a time when the national carrier is celebrating its fifth year of operation.

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