Uganda Airlines launches first European route and announces A320 lease plan

The arrival of the Uganda Airlines Airbus A330-800 at Gatwick was a “dream come true” for the country and a major aspiration ever since the carrier was launched in 2019, said General Katumba Wamala, Uganda’s Minister of Works and Transport.

"This is more than a flight, it is a bridge for business, investment, and people-to-people connections,” said Wamala at the launch event at Gatwick Airport.

The Gatwick service, which will be operated four times weekly, is the 17th route for Uganda Airlines. The airline will offer onward services to its growing African network including Abuja, Lusaka, and Harare, which were launched in the second half of 2024, said Uganda Airlines CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki.

During the launch event, she told African Aerospace that the carrier has secured government approval to negotiate orders with Airbus to acquire two A320neos and two A321neos for delivery in 2031-33. It is planned to place the order in the first quarter of its next financial year which begins in July.

At present the carrier operates two 258-seat A330-800s and four 76-seat Bombardier CRJ900s. The addition of a 150-seater aircraft to sit in between its A330s and the CRJs is an important move for Uganda Airlines to achieve a more balanced fleet in capacity terms.

In addition, Uganda Airlines is in discussions with undisclosed lessors for the dry lease of one A320neo and a A321neo for induction into its fleet in October or November, said Bamuturaki.

In the meantime, a single A320ceo on short-term lease from Danish ACMI provider DAT arrived in Uganda on 19 May. The Airbuses will provide interim leased narrowbody capacity until its new aircraft arrive.

“We are looking at the routes where we can release the [A330-800] Airbus and put the dry leased aircraft on them,” said Bamuturaki. At present it is operating its A330-800s on its Dubai, Mumbai and Lagos/Abuja services.

The carrier will increasingly devote its A330s to intercontinental services and to ensure its London route can be sustained without any operational issues.

The carrier is also talking with the Ugandan government to gain approval to add more widebodies, with the airline leaning towards the Boeing 787 over the A330 currently. There is no timeline on a deal yet, however the carrier is talking with Boeing about acquiring a pair of 787-9s, said Bamuturaki.

The arrival of Uganda Airlines at Gatwick means the airport now has nine long-haul routes to Africa plus seven short-haul ones, said Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer at London Gatwick. “The African market has been phenomenally successful for us,” he noted.

“This year, we will have over 555% more capacity operating from the UK to Africa than we had pre Covid,” said Pollard. This points to the improving economic prosperity of the continent with much more growth to come, he added.