A Uganda Airlines Airbus A330neo took time out from its airline schedule to appear at the Dubai Airshow. The carrier has just begun flying its first long-haul international services, with Dubai the initial destination.
Participating at the show at the invitation of Airbus, the A330-800neo (new engine option) is one of two that Uganda Airlines ordered in July 2019, shortly after the state-owned airline itself had re-formed after lying dormant since 2001. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000s, the aircraft is configured with 20 business, 28 premium economy, and 213 economy seats in the latest Airspace cabin interior.
The original Uganda Airlines came into being in 1976 after the break-up of the tri-national East African Airways, which had also served Kenya and Tanzania. Operations began in the following year but came to an end in 2001 after a failed attempt to privatize the financially ailing airline.
Uganda’s government decided to launch a new national airline in 2018 and paid small deposits for the two A330s and four Bombardier CRJ-900s, the latter entering service in 2019 on intra-African regional routes. The opening of long-haul routes experienced delays due to local certification issues with the A330s, which Airbus delivered in December 2020 and January this year. They remained grounded until August, when training and route-proving flights began. Ugandan authorities granted approval for the addition of the type to the airline’s AOC on August 21.
On October 4 Uganda Airlines flew its first widebody international flight when A330neo 5X-NIL—the aircraft on display at the Dubai Airshow—arrived in Dubai from Entebbe to launch a three-times-weekly service. The airline added a fourth weekly flight on November 3. The airline plans to add London, Mumbai, and Guangzhou to its network, reflecting the routes that Uganda regards as the most important to its international trade and inward investment. It plans to introduce a loyalty program next month.