Uganda Airlines taps into UK market with flights to London

Uganda Airlines is set to reinstate direct flights to London Gatwick, effective May 18, 2025, marking a significant milestone in its international expansion. This long-awaited resumption comes after the airline discontinued its European routes in the early 1990s.

This development follows British Airways' withdrawal from the Entebbe-London route in October 2015, citing unprofitability. With Uganda Airlines stepping in to reconnect Entebbe with London, travelers can once again enjoy seamless direct flights between Uganda and the United Kingdom.

Speaking at the route announcement event in Kampala yesterday, Ms Jenifer Bamuturaki, the chief executive officer of Uganda Airlines, emphasized that the introduction of direct flights will offer unparalleled convenience for travelers, addressing the growing demand for seamless travel between Uganda and the United Kingdom (UK). 
    
"Given the deep historical, cultural, and economic ties between the two nations, this new route is expected to enhance trade, tourism, and investment opportunities. Industry reports have consistently highlighted Entebbe as one of Africa’s most underserved markets for London, making Uganda Airlines’ entry into this space a highly anticipated and strategic development," Ms Bamuturaki said.

This new route represents Uganda Airlines’ first entry into the European market and restores a direct air link between Uganda and the United Kingdom after nearly a decade. The introduction of this service highlights the airline’s commitment to enhancing global connectivity, facilitating trade and tourism, and strengthening the long-standing ties between Uganda and the UK. 

She said the passengers can look forward to world-class Ugandan hospitality, seamless travel, and greater convenience on this much-anticipated route.

She further noted that the flights will be operated by the cutting-edge Airbus A330-800neo, delivering a world-class onboard experience for guests. The schedule has been meticulously crafted to maximiSe convenience, offering seamless connections through Uganda Airlines’ hub in Entebbe to its extensive African network. 

On why the London route, Mr Adedayo Olawuyi, the chief commercial officer at Uganda Airlines, explains that the London route is significant due to the UK's large market, with a population of 69 million and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $3.5 trillion. 

Despite strong trade relations between Uganda and the UK, the absence of a direct air link has limited their full trade potential. Additionally, Africa, including the Entebbe-London route, remains underserved in air travel, making this connection crucial for economic benefits and improved accessibility.

Mr Olawuyi highlighted the inconvenience of current travel routes from Uganda to the UK, which often require long layovers in cities like Kigali, Dubai, Doha, Amsterdam, Cairo, Nairobi, Brussels, and Istanbul, leading to travel times of 16 to 24 hours. He noted that approximately 90,000 passengers travel between Uganda and the UK annually.

Mr Olawuyi says the cost of a one-way flight to London is $733 (Shs2.6 million). 
Uganda Airlines hopes to significantly reduce this journey to just nine hours, making travel more efficient. He emphasized the economic and productivity benefits, such as faster transport of goods like coffee and easier attendance at business conferences. The new direct service is expected to boost travel numbers and contribute to economic growth.

According to Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport, the issue of direct flights to Europe for fresh flower traders has long been raised. 

"For some time, the people trading in fresh flowers have been knocking on our door, asking for direct flights to Europe. At least now, you can take your fresh flowers to London. The flower growers now know how to export their products to London," he said.

This direct connection facilitates the swift movement of people, goods, and services. It will benefit both exporters and importers by reducing transit times and eliminating the need for layovers. The resulting efficiencies are expected to boost Uganda's exports, leading to increased revenue and economic growth. 

In 2023, trade between Uganda and the UK was valued at around $556 million, with key exports including coffee, bananas, vegetables, minerals, and other products.

With this new development, Uganda has significant potential to increase trade volumes. The opportunity is substantial, especially since there is ample space in the cargo hold to carry sizable goods. 

Furthermore, Uganda is in the process of acquiring cargo planes to specifically support the export and import business.
Mr Wamala also recalled a remark made by Lord Popat, a Uganda-born Minister in the UK House of Lords, who once offered insightful advice: "If you want to export pineapples to London, do not waste space exporting the entire pineapple with its top and all. Instead, slice it into smaller pieces, package it well, and within 30 to 40 minutes of landing in London, it will be on the shelves of supermarkets."

This approach, according to Lord Popat, was both intriguing and challenging. He suggested that, for business people, this idea could be worth considering. Rather than shipping the whole fruit with all its waste, it might be more efficient to process it in advance, ensuring it arrives ready to go straight onto supermarket shelves.

Currently, this approach is gaining traction, with the UK being one of the most recommended destinations for such innovations in the region and continent.

Key destinations include; Harare, Lusaka, Nairobi, Lagos, Abuja, Juba, Mogadishu, Kinshasa, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg, and the soon-to-launch Accra route.

Ms Lisa Chesney, the British High Commissioner to Uganda,  expressed excitement about the direct flights between Uganda and the UK, emphasizing their potential to simplify cargo transport and significantly speed up the process of getting Ugandan products like coffee, bananas, and tea to the UK market. 

"Alongside the duty- and quota-free access that Uganda enjoys to the UK market, I think this is exciting," she said. She further noted that in 2023, trade between the UK and Uganda amounted to $19.6 million, (approximately Shs70 billion). Now, we can do better than that, can't we?" Ms Chesney noted.

 "This direct connection will enhance these figures, providing more opportunities for exports and boosting both of our economies," Ms Chesney said.