Uganda Airlines begins nonstop service to Mombasa
Uganda Airlines has successfully completed its nonstop maiden flight to Moi International Airport, Mombasa in Kenya.
November 12, 2019: Uganda Airlines has successfully completed its nonstop maiden flight to Moi International Airport, Mombasa in Kenya. The new route is operated by a CRJ900 aircraft.
Kenya Airways and RwandAir fly to Mombasa but both make a stop in Nairobi. With the stopover, the journey takes about 3 hours and 40 minutes but the direct flight takes two hours and 40 minutes.
Mr. Paul Turacayisenga the acting CEO Uganda Airlines says the direct flights to Mombasa will boost trade and tourism.
We shall be flying this route three times a week.
Monday, Friday and Sunday. #FlyUgandaAirlines pic.twitter.com/Bl1IITjOQk
Mombasa is particularly an important destination for business people in Uganda. Three-quarters of goods destined for Uganda dock at Mombasa. Many business people fly there whenever their goods dock or have a problem to sort.
Uganda Airlines direct flight to Mombasa will make it easier for those who find it tedious to fly to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi before connecting to Mombasa.
Meanwhile, another boom in the airline’s business has been the Entebbe-Juba route, according to an official at the ministry of works. According to the official, the government and the airline management were reluctant initially to add the Juba route on the fear that it might not make money.
“The route is making money,” the official said. “South Sudanese like to fly to Kampala and Uganda Airlines is making it happen.”
The recent peace talks also saw many officials use the airline to Juba and to Entebbe last week for the talks between rebel Riek Machar and president Salva Kiir. Also, Uganda is set to receive two Airbus aircraft in 2020 which are expected to see the airline take competition from regional routes to international ones, according to Uganda Civil Aviation Authority director general David Kakuba.
This will complete the cycle for the revival of the airline, whose first commercial flight took place on August 28.
Until a few years ago, Air Uganda (now defunct) used to offer daily departures from Entebbe to Mombasa, using a 50 seat CRJ200 aircraft.