Uganda Airlines sets 2030 target to end reliance on government support

KAMPALA. Uganda Airlines has set 2030 as the deadline to stop depending on government funding to meet its operational needs, but its new chief executive says the target will only be achievable if the government first invests in aircraft, infrastructure and technical capacity.

Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake, the former head of Ethiopian Airlines, says the national carrier must use the next four years to build the systems needed to operate commercially, rather than simply adding aircraft to its fleet.

He wants the airline to develop its own maintenance and engineering capacity, expand cargo operations, establish a catering facility, strengthen domestic and regional routes and turn Entebbe into a transit hub for passengers travelling between Africa and other parts of the world.

“An airline should be able to stand on its own. It cannot continue to beg money from government,” Mr Wake said.

“Yes, for development, until you become strong, you need the money. But there must be an end to that. Because otherwise you build this mentality that the government would pay for everything.”

Mr Wake said he had told government to provide the support required to get Uganda Airlines to the point where it can break even by 2030.

“I told the government that by 2030 we should be able to break even. Help us reach there. Get us airplanes. Support us in infrastructure,” he said.

The target comes against a backdrop of persistent financial losses. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee reported in September 2025 that Uganda Airlines recorded a net loss of Shs237.9 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, even as passenger revenue rose by 58 per cent, cargo revenue by 55 per cent and excess baggage revenue by 63 per cent.

The challenge, according to Mr Wake, is therefore not simply to grow the airline but to ensure that growth does not deepen its losses.

Fleet capacity

When he took over in February, Mr Wake said he found six aircraft, three of which were grounded because of engine and maintenance problems.

Although the grounded aircraft represented half the fleet, they accounted for about 85 per cent of the airline’s capacity, leaving the carrier operating at only about 15 per cent of its potential capacity.

One of the grounded A330 aircraft has since returned to service after an engine was transferred from the other aircraft. The grounded CRJ900 is also expected to return once its engine, currently undergoing maintenance in the United States, is reinstalled.

The second A330 could remain grounded until early 2027 because its engines are being repaired in Singapore.

The airline has been using a wet-leased aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines to maintain its schedule as it restores its fleet. But Mr Wake wants the carrier to gradually move away from wet leases towards dry leases.

Under a wet lease, an airline receives an aircraft together with crew, maintenance and insurance. Mr Wake says the arrangement is expensive because the airline pays for services bundled into the lease.

His longer-term plan is for Uganda Airlines to provide its own crew, maintenance and insurance, but that requires investment in people and facilities.

Entebbe as a hub

Mr Wake also wants to change how Uganda Airlines thinks about passengers.

Rather than relying mainly on people travelling between Uganda and individual destinations, he wants the airline to use Entebbe as a connecting point for passengers travelling across Africa and to international destinations.

The initial focus will be regional expansion, with Ghana among the markets being targeted. Other potential destinations include the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon, alongside existing regional routes.

Mr Wake argues that attempting to expand rapidly into long-haul markets without sufficient passenger volumes would expose the airline to greater losses.

Instead, smaller aircraft can be used on one- to three-hour regional routes to collect passengers and feed them into long-haul flights through Entebbe.

He cites Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines as examples of carriers that have built their strength by connecting passengers who are not necessarily travelling to the airline’s home country.

He also believes African airlines should cooperate more because a large share of the continent’s international traffic is carried by foreign airlines.

“Today, close to 80 per cent of traffic from Africa to the rest of the world is carried on non-African carriers,” he said.

Building a Ugandan workforce

Mr Wake’s strategy extends beyond aircraft and routes.

He wants Uganda Airlines to develop a pipeline of Ugandan pilots, engineers and technicians, with Soroti Flying School playing a central role.

He says he has held discussions with Boeing on supporting the institution with equipment, tools, curriculum assistance and funding.

Eight students — five in flying and three in engineering — were graduating when he visited the school, and Mr Wake said he offered to take all of them despite the absence of a budget allocation.

“I said I will take all eight even though I have no budget because I need them for tomorrow,” he said.

His ambition is to recruit graduates directly from the school and train them within the airline.

The need for local technical capacity is becoming more urgent as the airline prepares for its new Boeing fleet. Uganda Airlines placed its first direct Boeing order in July for four 737-8 aircraft and four 787-9 Dreamliners, with deliveries expected in 2032 and 2033.

But Mr Wake says new aircraft will mean little if the airline lacks the infrastructure to maintain them.

“At the moment, we are using outside service for our airplanes. Gradually, we have to bring it in, train more technicians, bring a facility, build a hangar, and gradually do our own maintenance,” he said.

Cargo, tourism

Another pillar of the turnaround plan is cargo.

Mr Wake says Uganda Airlines already carries between 20 and 23 tonnes of cargo on each London flight but relies on another company to handle it.

He wants the airline to develop its own cargo-handling capacity and introduce dedicated freight operations, including a planned Boeing 737 converted freighter.

“An airline should not make money on flying passengers alone,” he said.

He sees cargo as part of the national carrier’s wider responsibility to support Uganda’s exports.

Tourism is another area where he believes the airline can contribute to the wider economy.

Mr Wake says Uganda’s tourism attractions remain disadvantaged by poor air access. He cites gorilla tourism, arguing that visitors can face long road journeys to reach some of the country’s major attractions.

His proposal is to develop smaller airports closer to tourism sites, allowing Uganda Airlines to operate smaller aircraft to destinations that cannot sustain large commercial planes.

Changing the culture

For the 2030 target to work, Mr Wake says Uganda Airlines must also change internally.

He says he found a divided management team when he arrived and has since insisted that staff work collectively.

“From the very day I said we are a team. We should work as a team. If there is anything we don’t agree with, say it here. Let us discuss it and solve it. But please work as a team,” he said.

He also acknowledges weaknesses in the airline’s communication with passengers, particularly during flight delays.

Mr Wake says passengers deserve clear explanations when flights are delayed and that the airline should accept responsibility when it is at fault.

The challenge is significant. The new Boeing aircraft will not arrive until 2032 and 2033, meaning the airline must first stabilise its existing fleet, improve reliability, expand regional traffic and build its internal capacity.

For Mr Wake, however, the objective is bigger than making Uganda Airlines profitable.

He sees the national carrier as an instrument for expanding tourism, supporting exports, attracting investment and connecting Uganda to international markets.

“The important thing about an airline is not the money that it brings on its own. It is not the profitability that it brings. It is being an engine for development for a nation,” he said.

His 2030 break-even promise therefore comes with a condition: government support must help build an airline capable of eventually standing on its own.

“I believe … the opportunity in Africa is much bigger than the opportunities that we see everywhere else. Where we lack is a vision and the commitment to make it work,” Mr Wake said.