Uganda’s national airline says it will begin flying passengers within the country for the first time in years — a move that could reshape travel in a nation where long road journeys often dominate.
Speaking before a parliamentary oversight committee on Aug. 14, Uganda Airlines chief executive Jennifer Bamuturaki told lawmakers the carrier intends to start domestic service in the 2026–2027 financial year. The announcement came during a review of the Auditor General’s latest report on the airline’s operations.
Lawmakers seized on the opportunity to pitch their constituencies. Nathan Itungo, an MP from western Uganda, pointed to Nyakisharara airstrip — once a busy regional hub — as a ready-made base. “In my constituency, Nyakisharara airstrip is ready for you,” he told Bamuturaki, urging the airline to bring commercial flights back.
Others argued the change could lower costs for travelers heading to remote corners of the country. Eddie Kwizera, who represents Bukimbiri County near the Rwandan border, said the drive from Kampala to Kisoro now costs about $320 by road — an expensive and time-consuming journey that could be shortened dramatically by air.
The debate touched on wider concerns over the state of Uganda’s transport network. Roads in parts of the country, including the Pakwach–Karuma section in the northwest, have been deteriorating. Last October, several MPs from the West Nile region held a press conference to protest rising bus fares and to call for more investment in alternatives, including rail and water transport.
“West Nile used to be connected from Port Butiaba to Nimule. There were steamships,” said George Didi Bhoka, an MP from Obongi County. “We urge the Ministry of Transport to reconsider revitalising water transport apart from railway and road transport.”
Uganda has 47 airstrips, according to the Uganda Safaris Tours website. Six have paved runways, the rest unpaved. Thirteen are managed by the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.
Uganda Airlines currently operates 17 international and regional routes, including Nairobi, Johannesburg, Dubai and London. The revived carrier began operations in 2019, nearly two decades after the collapse of its predecessor. Its fleet includes Airbus A320neo and A330-800 aircraft, Boeing 787-9 and Bombardier CRJ-900ER jets for passengers, along with Boeing 737-800SF and 777F freighters for cargo.
Bamuturaki said the airline uses smaller Bombardier CRJ aircraft for East African routes such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Zanzibar and Juba, while a mix of jets serves destinations like Lagos, Lusaka and Harare. For long-haul flights, it deploys Airbus aircraft to cities including Mumbai, Dubai and London.
In 2023, the airline flew to Saudi Arabia for the first time in 40 years, carrying 250 Muslim pilgrims for the annual hajj.
If the domestic plan moves forward, it will mark another expansion for a carrier still in its second life — and potentially change how Ugandans move between their country’s distant towns and cities.
