Jennifer Bamuturaki (2nd Right), the CEO Uganda Airlines and Adedayo Olawuyi (2nd Left), the Chief Commercial Officer at Uganda Airlines, with members of the cabin crew at the launch of the new routes
Uganda Airlines has announced three new routes, expanding the national carrier’s network to 16 destinations.
On September 12, 2024, the national carrier will launch its inaugural flight to Nigeria’s political capital, Abuja and on September 25, 2024, Uganda Airlines will launch its flights to Lusaka, Zambia, and Harare, Zimbabwe.
Abuja flights are scheduled twice weekly, while Lusaka and Harare are scheduled four times weekly.
Addressing the media in Kampala on Wednesday morning, Jennifer Bamuturaki, the Chief Executive Officer at Uganda Airlines, said the new routes aim to build and optimize the national carrier’s regional market, improve the utilization of the existing fleet, and feed the international market (Dubai and Mumbai) ahead of planned London and Guangzhou routes expected to be announced in the near future.
Bamuturaki noted that Lusaka and Harare are some of the underserved markets on the continent, adding that the new routes will link the south to the west.
She says the expansion is a well-thought-out progression and that these are carried out after feasibility studies.
Recently, the airline increased the number of flights to Juba, South Sudan, and Nairobi, Kenya, to nine flights a week and three flights daily, respectively, making a total of 19 flights per day out of Entebbe International Airport. Uganda Airlines currently flies to 13 destinations and 10 countries. The launch of Lusaka, Abuja, and Harare will increase destinations to 16.
Adedayo Olawuyi, the Chief Commercial Officer at Uganda Airlines, said that the decision to add Abuja to the routes was because of the country’s huge population on top of being the political capital of Nigeria. He adds that Abuja is one of the top underserved markets in Africa, with limited connectivity across the continent. Although Lusaka and Harare are not big economies like Nigeria, Olawuyi said that the two destinations are underserved in terms of connectivity within Africa.
Olawuyi is hopeful that with the existing networks, Uganda Airlines will become a major player in the continent’s aviation sector.
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