Uganda Airlines is today, Thursday, 12 August 2021 holding a demonstration flight to Johannesburg with the Airbus A330.
According to the Uganda national carrier, this is part of the process aimed at obtained an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for the Airbus A330.
“Today Uganda Airlines will have a demonstration flight to Johannesburg with the Airbus A330 as a step towards attaining the AOC. If you look out, you just might get a glimpse at the beautiful crane,” Uganda Airlines said on Thursday.
Any individual, organisation or company that wishes to operate an aircraft for the purpose of commercial air transport must, by law, obtain an Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and system in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public.
The Uganda national carrier on Monday, May 31, 2021, commenced daily direct flights from Entebbe to Johannesburg to the joy of several Ugandans who live and work in Southern Africa.
The airline will operate four flights a week, with a return air ticket costing $341 (about Shs1.2 million).
Uganda Airlines should now have an edge over Ethiopian, Kenya Airways and Rwandair that fly the Entebbe-Johannesburg route. Although the average price for a return air ticket for the first week of June is lower at $270 , they are not a direct flight like Uganda Airlines is.
Monica Rubombora, the Resident Representative – Uganda Airlines, South Africa, said her team is working tirelessly to ensure each flight is fully booked.
She said bookings so far indicate that several people in South Africa want to travel, regardless of restrictions put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19.
She also said apart from South Africans, some of the foreign nationals from the East African region, including Ugandans are potential clients for the direct flights.
The maiden flight is slated for 7:40pm while that from Johannesburg is slated for 1am. Trips are expected to last at most 4 hours.
Meanwhile, Roger Wamara, the Commercial Director, Uganda Airlines, says Johannesburg is important for the national carrier because it hosts a large number of Ugandans and also a number of South African companies operate in Uganda.
He says the Entebbe-Johannesburg route is therefore vital for leisure and business for visitors to both Uganda and South Africa.
Wamara adds that the Johannesburg route is an entry point for the airline’s international flights because it will be the airline’s first destination outside the East African region.
The airline currently flies to 9 destinations in 6 countries. These are Nairobi, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Zanzibar, Dar-es-salaam, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa, Juba and Mogadishu.