Atleast 250 Muslim pilgrims have been flown to Mecca aboard the Uganda Airlines Airbus A330. The group was flagged off by the third Deputy Prime Minister Lukia Nakadama, minister of works and transport Gen Katumba Wamala and Fred Bamweisgye, Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
The 250 are part of the 500 pilgrims who will be transported for Hijja in Saudi Arabia. The other 250 will be flown tomorrow. This however symbolizes a significant milestone for the national carrier.
The flagging off of Ugandans follows Uganda Hijja Bureau and Uganda Airlines to transport Muslim pilgrims at a fair cost. This is the first time in 40 years that the national carrier is transporting pilgrims to Mecca.
“I want to thank the Ministry of Works and Transport for giving us Uganda Airlines to take our first batch of pilgrims to Mecca. I want to thank all those who have supported us as Uganda in promoting Uganda Airlines,” Nakadama said briefly before flagging off the pilgrims.
Katumba Wamala said we all need to be happy that we will be able to make the pilgrimage to Mecca using the Uganda Airlines.
Recently the airliner finalized its stages to introduce direct flights to London, Dubai, Guangzhou and Mumbai, from Entebbe International Airport. It is currently operating in over 10 countries all over the world.
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.
The airliner competes with Africa’s best airline companies such as South Africa Airways, 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 International Airport.
Uganda Airlines flies 250 Muslim pilgrims to Mecca
