In limbo for 18 years, Uganda’s national airline has launched commercial operations with a flight to the Kenyan capital.
Uganda Airlines’ inaugural flight to Nairobi on Tuesday carried mostly government and airline officials following a ceremony to re-launch the carrier that collapsed in 2001.
Uganda Airlines owns two planes. Four more have been ordered, including two Airbus jets.
“We undertake to be a world class airline that will exceed customer expectations through high quality service,” Uganda Airlines CEO Ephraim Bagenda said at a ceremony at Entebbe International Airport.
The carrier will fly to regional destinations such as the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
President Yoweri Museveni championed the revamped airline as a symbol of national pride, calling it “a new baby” in June.
Authorities acknowledge the airlines faces challenges but hope it will survive as the East African nation becomes an oil producer.
Uganda Airlines is expected to face competition from carriers such as Kenya Airways, which operates regular flights between Nairobi and Entebbe.
