Uganda Airlines Launches Lagos-Entebbe Airbus A330neo Flights
The airline has launched flights to Lagos and received permission to fly to other cities. Uganda Airlines (Ugandan flag carrier) has inaugurated its new Entebbe-Lagos flights in Nigeria, marking the airline's 13th international destination. The service will be operated three times a week with the Airbus A330neo, and will significantly reduce the traveling time from over ten to four hours. The first flight, UR900, departed EntebBE International Airport at 16:22 and arrived at Murtala Muhammed International (LOS) at 18:26. The return flight UR901 was operated on the same day, departing LOS at 20:49 and arriving at EBB at 02:30 local time. The airline has also received approval to fly to two more Nigerian cities and Kano (KAN) and Abuja (ABJ). The airline is now the only scheduled carrier operating non-stop flights between Uganda and Nigeria.
نشرت : منذ عامين بواسطة Tatenda Karuwa في Travel
Uganda Airlines touched down in Nigeria on October 19, marking the inauguration of its new Entebbe-Lagos flights. The service will be operated three times a week with the Airbus A330neo. Following the inaugural flight, the airline is eyeing more destinations in the West African country.
The Ugandan flag carrier, affectionately known as the Crane, has added Lagos as its 13th international destination. The first flight UR900 departed Entebbe International Airport (EBB) at 16:22 and arrived at Murtala Muhammed International (LOS) at 18:26. It was welcomed with a water jet salute, marking a momentous occasion for the East African carrier.
The return flight UR901 was operated on the same day, departing LOS at 20:49 and arriving at EBB at 02:30 local time. The service will run on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays with the following schedule:
The aircraft operated on the route has registration 5X-NIL and is one of two A330-800s the airline received about two years ago. While it is a very unpopular type, it is the only widebody equipment in the carrier's fleet. The rest of the fleet comprises four CRJ900LRs.
Uganda Airlines is now the only scheduled carrier operating non-stop flights between Uganda and Nigeria. Launching this service will significantly reduce the traveling time from over ten to four hours. The schedule also targets connecting traffic to Mumbai, Dubai, and Johannesburg, as flying through Entebbe provides short connection times.
The inaugural flight was sent off with an event at Entebbe Airport attended by various airline executives and stakeholders. After landing in Lagos, delegates gathered for the Nigeria-Uganda Trade and Tourism Business Forum to encourage trade relations between the two countries and leverage opportunities of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Speaking at the event, Uganda Airlines CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki said,
According to the Independent, Uganda Airlines has also received approval to fly to two more Nigerian cities. Speaking at the inauguration, Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said that the Federal Government (FG) had granted the Crane permission to launch flights to Kano (KAN) and Abuja (ABJ). He added that the approval was granted in line with the promotion of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
Nigeria has Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with several countries, and as such, over 25 international airlines fly to the West African nation, including Air France, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Ethiopian Airlines, and Qatar Airways. After Uganda Airlines, Air Algerie is the latest African carrier looking to join the party.
The carrier recently launched flights to South Africa, Ethiopia, and Cameroon and hopes to fly to Nigeria before the end of the year. According to the Daily Trust, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said that the FG would review its BASA with Algeria to allow flights to Abuja. The meeting between the respective aviation authorities was scheduled for December but will be moved up to November 7 to speed up the process.
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المواضيع: Aviation, Airlines, Uganda, Airbus