by Peter Orengo
The revived Uganda Airlines has clinched a direct route to the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa.
The fledgling national carrier of Uganda is set for flights to the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials have confirmed.
The airline will open a route between Entebbe, a town on the shores of Lake Victoria, and Kinshasa, DRC’s main tourist destination on the Western coastline.
In a short notice, Uganda Airlines announced that commercial flights to Kinshasa are coming soon.
“Hello DR Congo! Bonjour DR Congo! Kinshasa coming soon….Très bientôt….Eza koya….Hivi Karibuni,” the statement reads.
Uganda Airlines relaunched operations in August 2019 and now flies from Entebbe to Juba, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Mogadishu, Nairobi, and Mombasa. It is hoped the latest route will help to boost trade and tourism between Uganda and DR Congo.
Kinshasa is the largest city in DR Congo.
Until its revival, Uganda had been without a national airline since a previous incarnation of Uganda Airlines collapsed in 2001. Meanwhile, privately-owned Air Uganda ceased operations five years ago.
Uganda Airlines currently has four Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft in its fleet in a two-class, 76-seat configuration, with 12 business class and 64 economy seats.
It also has two Airbus A330-800neos on order, which it intends to use to build its international long-haul network. The aircraft will feature a three-class cabin layout comprising 20 business, 28 premium economy and 213 economy seats.
Speaking earlier this month, Dr. David Kakuba, director-general of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, said the arrival of the new wide-body aircraft would allow the carrier to add countries like “England, India and China” to its network.