21 years after air pact, Nigeria, Uganda flights begin

In a bid to connect West Africa to eastern Africa, Uganda Airlines yesterday commenced flight operations to Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

This was coming 21 years after both countries signed the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) for flight operations.

The inaugural flight of the airline touched down at the MMIA from Entebbe International Airport with passengers and government delegation.

The A330-800 aircraft was received with a ceremonial water cannon salute from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Firefighting and Rescue Services. And just as the airline commenced the three weekly flights to Lagos, the federal government has granted approval for it to operate to Abuja and Kano airports in line with the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM).

Stakeholders said the new flight operation would not only reduce air fares but ease connectivity for passengers connecting Europe, Middle East and Asia from West and East Africa. Uganda Airlines’ chief executive officer, Jenifer Bamuturaki, disclosed that the flight from Entebbe to Lagos took about three and half hours.

“That means if you are flying to Mumbai or Dubai, you don’t have to go 10 hours across directions, you just come to Entebbe three and a half hours and you are in Dubai for another four and a half hours,” she said.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, said the airline was granted two additional designations in the spirit of African Open Skies policy.

Keyamo, who was represented by the Director of Transport Management in the ministry, Mr Hassan Ejibunu, said the approval would deepen the Nigeria-Uganda connectivity, in addition to connecting passengers of both regions.