Jomo Kenyatta International Airport officials have this afternoon treated Uganda Airlines aircraft to a water salute.
This was upon landing, a few minutes into 12 noon on a maiden flight from Entebbe International Airport.
The flight had on board top government officials and journalists.
Commercial flights start officially August 28, 2019.
Tuesday’s maiden flight to Nairobi was flagged off by the Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda who said the country plans to play a critical role in the geopolitical and economic stability of East Africa as a region.
“Today, we stand here as witnesses to this historic moment were our national airline takes to the skies. I am glad some of us have had the honor to be associated with this great day. The country will always remember it. As a nation, we are strategically placed and with our airline, our neighbors will easily access our market and connect to their destinations,” he said before the plane took off to the skies from Entebbe International Airport.
“As we launch commercial flights, two of the four Bombardier aircraft were successfully delivered and approved to fly. The other two will be delivered next month as scheduled. The airbuses will be delivered later in 2020,” he said.
Uganda Airlines effective from tomorrow will make commercial flights to Nairobi, Juba twice daily, Mogadishu three times daily, Dar-es-Salaam and Kilimanjaro once a day, Bujumbura and Mombasa thrice a week.
The company will begin with two months promotional fares of Nairobi Return USD 278, Juba Return USD 225, Mogadishu Return US$ 590, Dar Return USD 286, Bujumbura Return USD 292, Mombasa Return USD 325, Kilimanjaro Return USD 311 inclusive of taxes.
In April, government received the first two of the four Bombardier CRJ900 regional Aircrafts that were ordered by Uganda National Airlines Company in July 2018.
The third jet will be delivered this month and the fourth plane is expected in September 2019. The commercialization of the airline will start on 28 august to various destinations in Kenya, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Zanzibar.
Established in May 1976, Uganda Airlines, started operations in 1977 and was liquidated in May 2001 after efforts to privatize the company failed due to massive debts it had incurred.
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