Kampala, (UG): Uganda Airlines has opened a direct route to Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, with flights scheduled thrice a week.
The launch of the inaugural flight today, October 19, 2023, will see the airline fly to Lagos every Sunday, Monday and Thursday.
A press release from the airline dated October 19, 2023, says the development follows the securing of approvals by aeronautical authorities in Uganda and Nigeria.
Lagos is Nigeria’s biggest city and one of the world’s fastest-growing cities. It is an economic and cultural centre in West Africa, renowned for its lively music and entertainment scenes, vibrant markets and picturesque beaches.
The airline last week announced the launch of direct flights from the Entebbe International Airport to Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The flight will connect the two countries for the first time in history.
Uganda Airlines chief commercial officer Adedayo Olawuyi said Nigeria being the biggest economy on the continent needed an airline like Uganda Airlines for further easy exploration and seamless connectivity of passengers.
According to the statement, the airline’s chief executive officer, Jennifer Bamuturaki, says: Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy while Uganda’s central location on the continent makes it the ideal connection hub between East, West, North and Southern Africa.
The direct flights will yield significant time savings for our guests who will be terminating their journeys in Uganda and those who may wish to travel onward within our network to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Mombasa, Juba, Bujumbura, Kinshasa, Dubai, Mogadishu or Johannesburg and Mumbai.
On October 13, 2023, Bamuturaki said the launch aims at enhancing efficiency and accelerating both the movement of commodities and people between the two countries.
According to her, Uganda Airlines’ direct route to Nigeria is not only going to reduce travel time between the two countries but also widen the airline’s network across Africa.
Previously, a traveller moving from Uganda to Nigeria, or vice versa, had to endure a nine to 12-hour flight with only one stopover.
Therefore, the inauguration of this direct route has reduced travel time to just four hours, which is a big difference in convenience for both leisure and business travellers.
The beginning of direct operations between Uganda and Nigeria are the first-time travellers who have had the opportunity to fly non-stop between the two countries.
Uganda Airlines started offering commercial flights in August 2019 after 20 years of inactivity. The aircraft has so far succeeded in acquiring landing rights in 12 different destinations.
About Uganda Airlines
Uganda Airlines is Uganda’s flagship national passenger and cargo carrier that started in 2019. It provides scheduled air transportation services in East Africa and near international markets.
Uganda Airlines was awarded the World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award, given by Ch-Aviation in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: dailyexpressug@gmail.com Or follow the Daily Express on X Platform or WhatsApp for the latest updates.
