Uganda Airlines May Get 2 New Boeing 787 Dreamliners & 2 Freighters Through Government Deal
Summary
- Uganda’s government plans to acquire four Boeing aircraft for Uganda Airlines, including freighters and passenger planes.
- President Museveni authorized the purchase of new aircraft after a meeting with Boeing officials, but no official announcement has been made.
- The addition of Boeing aircraft would increase Uganda Airlines’ fleet complexity and operational costs, as it will operate five different aircraft types.
Uganda’s government, led by President Yoweri Museveni, has reportedly struck a deal with Boeing to acquire up to four aircraft for the national carrier Uganda Airlines. The deal, which includes two freighters and two passenger aircraft, would see the carrier expand its operations but with a fleet of several different aircraft types.
A visit from Boeing officials
According to 256 Business News, sources familiar with the matter disclosed that President Museveni had authorized the purchase of the new aircraft. Following a meeting between Ugandan government officials and a team from Boeing on April 22, an agreement was reached to purchase a 737-800F and a 777F, as well as two 787 Dreamliners.
Photo: mirounga | Shutterstock
However, there has been no official announcement from the airline, the government, or the manufacturer. Furthermore, details on which variants the government will acquire are still unclear. The Boeing team was led by Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey, Africa & Central Asia (METACA). Following the meeting, President Museveni said on X,
“A team from Boeing, led by Mr Kuljit Ghata-Aura, the President of Boeing Africa, visited me at State House Entebbe. We have plans to increase the Uganda Airlines fleet for both cargo and passenger aircraft.”
“On fleet maintenance, I welcome the idea of having some light maintenance here initially. Where applicable, we hope to utilize existing capacity for maintenance service in brotherly countries like Ethiopia until our fleet grows to allow us to have it done fully in Uganda.”
According to ch-aviation, Uganda Airlines has a fleet of six aircraft, comprising four CRJ900LRs and two Airbus A330-800s. It has also secured an A320-200 wet-leased from South Africa’s Global Aviation Operations. The carrier firmed up its order for the Airbus widebodies back in April 2019, about four months before it started commercial operations. It received the first A330neo in December 2020 and the second in January 2021.
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The carrier already ordered 220 Airbus aircraft in December.
The introduction of the Boeing freighters and the Dreamliners would see the state-owned carrier operating five different aircraft types, a development that has been criticized by some experts. The airline would face additional operational complexities and costs of maintenance, spare parts, and crew training, to mention a few.
Uganda Airlines’ route expansion
Operating from its base at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), Uganda Airlines currently serves 13 international destinations in 10 countries, including Dubai (DXB), Kinshasa (FIH), Nairobi (NBO), and Johannesburg (JNB). In early October, the carrier launched flights to Mumbai (BOM), its second intercontinental destination after Dubai.
Photo: Airbus
Later that month, it also inaugurated direct flights from Entebbe to Lagos (LOS), offering a shorter travel time between the two cities. Soon after the launch, Nigeria’s aviation minister reportedly granted Uganda Airlines permission to fly to Kano (KAN) and Abuja (ABV). However, the airline has not announced any solid plans to fly to other Nigerian cities.
It is, however, in talks with the civil aviation authorities in the UAE to launch flights to Abu Dhabi. The airline’s Manager of Government Relations, Deo Nyanzi, and Uganda’s Ambassador to the UAE, Zaake Kibedi, recently met with the Emirati officials. “Uganda Airlines is expected to commence flights from Entebbe to Abu Dhabi. The request was approved, but the pre-condition is that they fulfill all required formalities by UAE-CAA,” said Kibedi.
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