Uganda Airlines is set to launch three new flight routes to Harare, Abuja and Lusaka.
According to Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Bamuturaki, the three routes are a strategic entry into the big African market.
“The entry into these markets is to build an efficient and optimized regional market to feed and finance a more profitable long-haul market for the airline as we grow our fleet and its utilization. Our whole point is to improve our utilization because an airline makes money when aircraft is in air,” Bamuturaki said.
The addition of the three new flight routes takes it to a total of 16.
The airline currently flies to Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar Es Salaam, Bujumbura, Kinshasa, Johannesburg, Dubai, Zanzibar and Mogadishu among others.
Bamuturaki said by tapping into the three new routes, the national carrier seeks to create a network as a feeder for London, Bombay, Guanghzou and Dubai routes.
“Our aspiration is to bridge the geographical gaps and connect the East to the West, North and South of Africa. This vision guides our route expansion, which is carefully guided by feasibility studies pointing us to underserved routes. “
The Uganda Airlines Chief commercial officer Adedayo Olawuyi said the three new routes will add on more profitability for the national carrier.
“The addition of the three routes should bring us an additional 10% increase to the revenue we are getting today.”
Uganda Airlines earlier this year acquired a new 160- set Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet.
This added onto the CRJ900LRs and Airbus A330Neo wide bodies.
