Uganda Airlines will begin operating flights between Entebbe and Accra on October 27, adding a new West African destination as the national carrier seeks to strengthen regional connections through Uganda.
The service will operate four times a week via Lagos, Nigeria, using a Boeing 737-800 wet-leased from Ethiopian Airlines, according to published schedules and reports on the airline’s expansion plans.
The routing means passengers travelling from Entebbe to Ghana will stop in Lagos rather than fly directly to Accra. The service will build on Uganda Airlines’ existing operations in Lagos and Abuja.
The launch comes as the carrier prepares to introduce flights to Kigali, Rwanda, in November, expanding its regional network further.
Entebbe’s role as a connecting hub
Uganda Airlines acting chief executive Girma Wake has said the expansion is intended to make Entebbe a connecting point for passengers travelling between Africa and other international markets.
“We were having flights that were coming from Bombay, Dubai, and London, connecting to nowhere. Now we have made that possible,” Wake said.
He said the airline wants to connect passengers arriving from West Africa with destinations including India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania.
The strategy depends on coordinating flight schedules so passengers arriving on international services can connect to regional destinations. The airline has been reorganising its timetable to improve connections through Entebbe, according to previous statements by management.
Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama has argued that stronger air links between East and West Africa could support trade, tourism and investment, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Byamukama says limited air connectivity has constrained commercial links between the two regions. The new service is intended to improve access, although its wider economic impact will depend on passenger demand, operating costs and the development of trade between the markets.
Fleet expansion and capacity constraints
The Accra route forms part of a wider expansion programme valued at about Shs 3.7 trillion.
In June, Uganda Airlines signed an agreement with Boeing to acquire 10 aircraft, comprising eight passenger planes and two cargo freighters. The agreement was signed in the presence of President Yoweri Museveni and is intended to increase passenger capacity and support cargo operations.
The cargo component includes a converted Boeing 767 freighter and a Boeing 737 freighter. The airline intends to use its expanded capacity to transport agricultural exports and other goods.
The purchase agreement is separate from the aircraft being used for the Accra launch. The new route will initially rely on a wet-leased Boeing 737-800 from Ethiopian Airlines, providing capacity for the service without waiting for deliveries under the Boeing agreement.
The Accra service will make Uganda Airlines the fourth East African carrier serving the Ghanaian capital, joining Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and Air Tanzania, according to published reports.
Operational challenges remain
The expansion comes as Uganda Airlines continues to manage operational disruptions that have affected parts of its network.
Uganda Airlines’ expansion plans come amid recent operational disruptions that forced the suspension of flights to Kinshasa and Dubai. The airline has since resumed services to Dubai, while flights to Kinshasa remain suspended. Management has, however, indicated plans to restore the Kinshasa route as part of its network expansion.
The planned Accra and Kigali services would widen the airline’s African network, but sustaining the expansion will require reliable operations, sufficient aircraft capacity and demand to support the additional routes.
