Uganda Airlines is planning to start direct flights between Entebbe, Uganda, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in September 2023.
The airline will use its current operator’s license, which was originally set to expire in July. However, the Chief Executive Officer , Jennifer Bamuturaki, has stated that they will be extending the same operator’s license until July 2024.
The airline will operate direct flights to Jeddah three times a week, eliminating the need for passengers to go through intermediary airports.
This change aims to reduce the chaos and inconvenience that passengers have experienced at these intermediary airports over the years.
To ensure a smooth transition and preparation for the daily flights to Saudi Arabia, Uganda Airlines is working closely with various stakeholders.
Additionally, the airline has established a team of general sales agents in Saudi Arabia to represent them.
She made the revelation at Entebbe International Airport shortly after take-off of the airbus.
This week, Uganda Airlines operated its maiden non-stop flight to Jeddah using their Airbus Neo aircraft. This flight primarily served Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.
As a result, there has been a bustling atmosphere at Uganda Airlines as Muslim pilgrims check in to be cleared for their annual journey.
Out of the more than 800 Ugandan pilgrims taking part in this year’s Hajj, 450 were transported by Uganda airlines.
“They were also very happy that at check in here in Entebbe, it was extremely organised, they had never seen that before. It was always a cattle market you know.
But the team in Uganda airlines, handled it very professionally, with how they were checked them in, and how they ended up living” Bamuturaki explained.
With the addition of Jeddah, the airline’s flight network expands to 13 destinations.
The current destinations served by Uganda Airlines include Mogadishu, Dubai, Juba, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Entebbe, Kilimanjaro, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Zanzibar, Johannesburg, and Dar es Salaam.
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