All is set for Uganda’s national carrier to launch direct flights from the East African country to Nigeria.
Jennifer Bamuturaki, Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Officer, told the Uganda-Nigeria trade and business forum in Kampala the first flight will be launched on October 19.
“The operation to Lagos creates an air bridge to West Africa that breaks a cross-connectivity pattern that impedes swift interconnectivity in East Africa,” Bamuturaki said.
“Africa is underserved in terms of Air transport at only 22%, and connectivity by Air has become more expensive on the continent,” the official said.
According to Bamuturaki, the connectivity between the east and western Africa has been difficult, with those travelling between the two regions having to look as far as the Middle East.
“Uganda Airlines is here to answer this call of duty and hereby brings its commitment to the fore to start its service to Lagos, Nigeria,” she said.
“Minus our service, it takes a minimum of 10 hours and 15 minutes to connect from Entebbe to Lagos. Our service, lasting just 4 hours to Lagos, addresses an existing need and will be a catalyst to unlock the immense potential of a market force of over 220m people for collaboration as well as opportunities between the two countries,” she added.
The initiative is expected to boost trade and investment in oil and gas, agriculture, tourism, textiles and music.
The Airline has positioned its state-of-the-art equipment on this route, the A330-800neo, with 258 seats and 36tons of cargo space.
The schedule of the flight will be thrice a week: Monday, Thursday and Sunday.
Gen. Katumba Wamala, the country’s minister for works and transport, said the more than 10,000 Nigerians who live in Uganda will have the opportunity to fly home and meet their loved ones any time they want and quickly.
“The Nigerian market is also very ripe for our exports, such as manufactured goods, fish, chili, cassava, wheat, fruits and vegetables; our traders should be ready to take on these opportunities. Full-blown expansion requires that the airline invests in equipment suitable for these routes; my Ministry is looking into that in the shortest time,” he said.
“I call upon players in trade, manufacturing, agriculture, education and Tourism to plan and provide a road map for opening West Africa in ways that create opportunities for the country. We need to stimulate this market, and to do this; we need to work with all players,” Gen Wamala added.
The minister said the airline has plans to expand to another point in Nigeria, the capital Abuja as well as Accra, Ghana.
“My Ministry, under its programme, the Integrated Transport Infrastructure and Services (ITIS), will support its initiatives to expand to more points in West Africa. Additionally, Entebbe Airport is being expanded, and it is now at 70%; we will have a new terminal that will provide a better experience for the passengers transiting through Entebbe,” he explained.
