Uganda Launches National Airline

Uganda onTuesday re-launched its national airline after two decades with an inaugural flight to Nairobi, becoming the latest East African nation seeking to revive their aviation industry, AFP reported “The airline will first fly to seven destinations. Starting with Nairobi, Mo ga dishu,Ju ba and Dare sS a al am. And then to Mombasa, Kilimanjaro and Bujumbura,” said Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda at Entebbe International Airport. Uganda Airlines is launching into increasingly crowded East African skies, where both Rwanda and Tanzania have in recent years revived their national airlines in a bid to capture a slice of the booming market. They are taking on regional giants Kenya Airways — which continues to expand despite struggling with years of losses and management woes — and Ethiopian Airlines, which largely dominates the skies. “Uganda Airlines is coming to compete in the market alongside other airlines”, saidTransport Minister Monica Azuba. Uganda Airlines was founded by former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1976 but the carrier was liquidated in 2001 after a failed bid top riva ti se the floundering company, dogged by corruption and mis management. The country has acquired two new Bombardier CRJ 900 jets and will take delivery of another two in September, while the addition of two Airbus A 330-800 plane sin 2020 will allow it to carry out long-haul flights. “Uganda Airlines will have direct flights from Uganda to China plus other countries, and it will be very important in hitting the four million tourist goal the government has set ,” said Tourism Minister Ep hr ai mK amuntu.