Page 56 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

AIRLINES AIRLINES

The Bombardier CRJ 900 is best
suited for this African airline out of Entebbe in a market dominated by Ethiopian Airlines
and Kenya Airways.

The airline is expected to run at a loss for the first three to five years

but its operations are still expected to benefit the economy through

competition and the reduction of travel costs. The country expects to

start pumping crude oil in 2022 and the government hopes oil-related
activity will also boost the volume of international travelers. Ongoing

construction at Entebbe, financed by a Chinese loan, is expected to
sharply increase the airports passenger and cargo handling capacity,

while a new international airport- Kabaale International Airport - Ho-

ima is being constructed near the country’s oilfields in the west.

In a move to protect the airline from past misfortunes, the fi-
nance ministry instructed the management of Uganda Airlines not

to issue air tickets to government officers on credit, as all govern-

ment departments have budgets. “Uganda Airlines is a business
and we don’t want to see the airline failing again because of lack of
money,” Kasaija said.
“As the airline being is a commercial enterprise providing sched-

uled flights for passengers nationally, regionally and globally will

depend on the technical, commercial and financial strength of the Uganda Airlines management team with (fourth from

company,” he said. left) Ephraim Bagenda, managing director and CEO

The airline will be run by a seven member board of directors
chaired by Godfrey Ahambwe Prereza a former member of parlia-
ment and minister for local government, Benon Kajuna a transport 30 key staff. It plans to start with commercial services to operate

economist as the board member representing the ministry of into 19 intra-African routes in the first phase during which, the

transport and works and Godfrey Ssemugooma who will represent carrier will negotiate agreements and code-share with some of the

ministry of finance, planning and economic development, other bigger foreign airlines operating into Entebbe, to offer onward lift

board members are Catherine Asinde Poran Rehema Mutazindwa, to transit passengers across its network.
UGANDA AIRLINES Charles Hamya and Stephene Aziku Zua while the management will proposed African Single African Air Transport Market (SATM), with
He noted that the airline would study the implications of the

be led by Ephraim Bagenda.
The airline has already recruited pilots, cabin crew and another a view of advising the Ugandan state to sign up. Q
GETS OPERATIONAL
By Githae Mwaniki NEWS
Six years later Air Uganda was set up by the Aga Khan Group SOUTH AFRICAN DRONE

Foundation and operated as the nation’s flag carrier. It had a fleet

gandan airlines will begin flight operations this month af- of three CRJ 200s until 2014 when it ceased operations after its

Uter the Civil Aviati on Authority granted its Air Operators AOC was revoked by the UCAA in preparation for an ICAO audit.

Certificate (AOC) on July 29, 2019. The grounding of the airline led to withdrawal of support from SECTOR ASSOCIATION CREATED

“It’s all systems go at Uganda Airlines. Get ready for take-off,” the Aga Khan Group Foundation and the complete collapse of

said Ugandan finance minister Matia Kasaija who was accompanied operations. By Rebecca Campbell

by minister of transport and works Monica Ntege at the ceremony. In relaunching Uganda Airlines, the Ugandan Government paid

“We assure the country that this project will be successful,” Canadian Bombardier Aerospace an initial sum of (US) $74.8 importantly, the federation is intended to

Kasaija said. million for the two CRJ900s through a supplementary budget create and promote a common goal for essential to allow the federation to approach

Ntege said the airline had completed the five-phase certification approval by parliament. The airline fleet plan was to acquire six the South African UAV sector. the different national agencies responsible

process required to obtain the AOC as per the regulations. “We are aircraft with an additional two CRJ 900s expected to be delivered representative body for the “We also have a plan to have interest for aviation safety, to request changes in

on schedule to start commercial flights starting with Nairobi, Dar in two months, amounting to four regional aircraft to serve the ASouth African unmanned groups,” he said. That is, under the aegis of their regulations and rules which would facil-

es Salaam and Mogadishu. The airline plans to commence opera- continental routes. aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, sector was Safu, various member companies will be itate the commercial operation of UAVs.

tions using its two new 76 seater Bombardier CRJ-900s.” The airline also placed an order for two Airbus A330-800neos to launched recently at Kyalami, north of Jo- able to set up groups to focus on concerns In addition to the SACAA, these included

The airline plans to expand destinations to reach Kigali, Goma, serve the intercontinental routes to Europe and Asia where Ugan- hannesburg. It is called the South African and issues of particular concern to them Air Traffic Navigation Services (responsible

Kinshasa, Bangui, Lusaka, Harare, Zanziba, Accra, Bujumbura, Juba da is keen to attract tourists to visit the East African nation. The Federation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems but not to all of the federation’s members. for the country’s air traffic management).

and Johannesburg after two additional Bombardier CRJ-900s are Ugandan government secured the order after it paid (US)$20m de- or UAS - officially abbreviated to Safu. Safu will also seek to educate drone op- Data was needed for other purposes

expected in the coming two months. posit with (US) $10m for each for the aircraft that will be delivered “Safu is a non profit organisation,” said erators in the safe and proper operation as well. UAVs, he said, had a place in the

The airline’s management indicated preparations to com- in 2020 and 2021 respectively. The A330-800neo is valued at a list chairperson Sam Twala. of UAVs and “translate” South African Fourth Industrial Revolution and Safu
mence operations included set up of the reservation, bookings, price of (US) $259.9M, but the actual price that Ugandan Airlines “We currently have a strategic plan, but Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) regu- would seek to supply government with

ticketing and accounting systems that have been activated in paid has not been disclosed. it is for a short time, only for this financial lations into simple and clear language, the necessary information for this.

a test environment using the IATA provisional codes. The The CRJ900s will operate in a two-class, 76-seat configuration, year.” This is because the federation is still accessible on the federation’s website. Also, secure and safe command and

airline was in the final phase of completing approvals with with 12 business-class and 64 economy seats while the A330-800s in the process of setting itself up. “The In parallel, the organisation intends to control of drones would require that

Kenyan, Tanzanian and Somalian authorities to get landing will have a three-class layout, with 20 business, 28 premium econ- complete leadership team is three of us.” improve public knowledge about drones. their operators be securely allocated a
rights to facilitate the flights to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and omy and 213 economy seats. Nevertheless, Safu has set itself a num- A really important function of Safu will slice of the radio frequency spectrum for

Mogadishu respectively. Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni said citizens spend ber of missions, to promote and support be the collection and analysis of data about their activities. Q

Uganda airlines originally started operations in 1977 flying to 19 about (US) $400m annually on international travel - an amount the development of the UAV/UAS/drone UAV operations in South Africa. Data, Twala Article courtesy: https://www.engi-

destinations in Africa and to Israel, Germany and the UK operating that the country hopes to retain within its economy. In addi- sector in South Africa. Perhaps most said, is essential for aviation safety. Data is neeringnews.co.za/

a range of aircraft including a Boeing 737-500 and Fokker 27-600. tion the introduction of a national carrier will address com-

In 2001 it was liquidated due to massive debts. plaints by Ugandan travelers of high air ticket prices into and
World Airnews | September 2019 World Airnews | September 2019
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