Uganda Airlines plans to break in its new Airbus A330-800 by using the aircraft on short-haul routes between Uganda and Kenya.
The Entebbe-based carrier only recently received its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) following a special demonstration flight from Entebbe to Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in South Africa.
To help familiarise Uganda Airlines staff with the new aircraft, the airline has done what many other airlines do when they receive a new plane model. Rather than putting it on the long-haul routes that it is intended for, they operate the aircraft on short-haul routes for a limited time.
British Airways did the same thing
British Airways did the same thing with its first Airbus A350 putting it on the route between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD). IAG sister airline Iberia was already familiar with the Airbus A350, making the Spanish capital the ideal choice for BA crew to familiarize themselves with the plane.
From this coming Friday (August 27), passengers will be able to try out Uganda Airlines’ brand new Airbus A330-800s for themselves. Uganda Airlines has decided to break in the new Airbus A330-800s by offering passengers a short 324-mile flight over Lake Victoria from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Once Uganda Airlines is convinced that everyone is fully trained, the two aircraft will then be deployed on their intended routes to the following destinations:
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai, India
- Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) in Guangzhou, Southern China
With a three-cabin layout that only has 20 business class lie-flat seats, 28 premium economy seats, and 210 economy class seats, there should be plenty of legroom no matter where you are seated.
The new Uganda Airlines was launched in 2019
Keeping the name of the country’s former airline that operated between 1976–2001, the new government-owned Uganda Airlines came into existence in 2019. Initially operating flights with just four Bombardier CRJ-900s to domestic and nearby international airports, the Ugandan government commissioned Airbus for two A330-800s.
Concerned with range than capacity, the A330-800 can fly 950 nautical miles further than the larger A330-900. Still, jumping from a plane that can carry 75 passengers to one that can accommodate up to 261 passengers is quite a leap. Besides being a bit of a vanity project for the Ugandan government, the two Airbus A330-800 could be a big moneymaker for the land-locked African nation if they have done their calculations right.
Uganda is betting on tourism
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism accounted for 8% of Uganda’s Gross domestic product. The government hopes that the new aircraft will help entice people to visit Uganda by offering non-stop flights to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
It would be really nice to see Ugandan Airlines do well with its new Airbus aircraft. As more people become vaccinated and start traveling again, there is no reason why direct widebody flights won’t work. Uganda is an English-speaking country with a diverse landscape that is home to half the world’s mountain gorillas.
Source: Simple Flying