Uganda Airlines expands wings with Lusaka, Harare and Abuja routes

Kampala, (UG):- Uganda’s national flag carrier, Uganda Airlines has announced the launch of three new destinations; Abuja (Nigeria), Lusaka (Zambia), and Harare (Zimbabwe) effective this September.

The three additional routes come as the airline readies to mark five years of operations since its inception in August 2019.

Speaking at the launch of the new routes on Wednesday, Ms Jenifer Bamuturaki, Uganda Airlines CEO said the airline’s service to Abuja will commence on September 12, 2024, and on September 25, 2024, the routes to Lusaka and Harare will be inaugurated.

“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 emphasized, adding; “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.

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.

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 expansion brings the total number of destinations served by Uganda Airlines to 16, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salam, Bujumbura, Johannesburg, Dubai, Zanzibar, Lagos, Kinshasa, Mumbai, Mogadishu, Juba, and Kilimanjaro.