Uganda orders for last two Bombardier CRJ900 commercial aircraft

Uganda Airlines has made its final commitment for the delivery of the third and fourth Bombardier CRJ900 commercial aircraft, five months after the delivery of two aircraft.

The $56 million agreement was signed yesterday in Mirabel, Canada and witnessed by the Permanent secretary for ministry of works and transport Bageya Waiswa, Eng. Bagenda Ephraim from Uganda Airlines and MP Kafeero Ssekitoleko Robert and Allan Craig for Bombardier.

The two planes will be delivered on 7th October 2019 at Entebbe international airport. The four will be making regional commercial flights in South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Burundi, and Somalia among other African countries

In July this year, President Yoweri Museveni received the first two of the four Bombardier CRJ900 regional Aircrafts which were ordered by Uganda National Airlines Company in July 2018.

On august 27th, Uganda Airlines made its maiden flight to Jomo Kenyatta international airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya, a month after being granted Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from Uganda civil aviation authority (UCAA). The company however commenced its commercial flights on the 28th august 2019.

The current flights include; Nairobi, Juba twice daily, Mogadishu three times daily, Dar-es-Salaam and Kilimanjaro once a day, Bujumbura and Mombasa thrice a week with two monthly promotional fares of Nairobi Return US$ 278, Juba Return US$ 225, Mogadishu Return US$ 590, Dar Return US$ 286, Bujumbura Return US$ 292, Mombasa Return US$ 325, Kilimanjaro Return USD 311 inclusive of taxes. But the passengers can pay in Ugandan currency as well.

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.

Its revival now means Uganda Airlines will have to compete with Africa’s best such as Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways, RwandAir and others on the continent, not forgetting International ones such as Emirates Airways, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airways among others that land at Entebbe.