RIYADH, SAUDI: Saudi Arabian carrier, Saudia Airlines on Wednesday, February 2, launched its first direct flight from Riyadh International Airport to Entebbe International Airport.
The inaugural flight arrived in Entebbe at 7 am with about 300 passengers aboard an Airbus 330-300, according to the airline, and was welcomed with a traditional gun salute.
Saudia Airlines, which is the newest airline on the Ugandan aviation network will have direct flights between Riyadh capital, and Entebbe, Uganda, a move that will bolster tourism and also ease employee recruiters who have welcomed the development with much appreciation.
According to Mr Vianney Luggya, the spokesperson of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, Saudi Airlines becomes one of the 17 international airlines to operate in Entebbe.
“Whenever a new operator comes, it is a vote of confidence in the country’s aviation systems. We expect that their coming on board will help us increase the passenger traffic that has been steadily grown through the years,” Mr Luggya told reporters.
An estimated 21 percent of the passenger traffic at Entebbe Airport is contributed by the Middle East, according to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority.
In 2019, traffic stood at 1.98 million passengers but with the advent of the pandemic, it fell to 600,000 passengers in 2020. In 2021, the numbers increased to 940,000.
In 2020, Uganda’s imports from Saudi Arabia were worth $274.5 million, according to official data, while the gulf state imported goods worth $5.2million from the East African country.
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