NEW VISION, Tuesday, January 21, 2020 23 Uganda Airlines takes off GRAPHIC BY BRIAN SSEKAMATTE BY OWEN WAGABAZA Uganda Airlines spreads its wings n 2016, just months after being sworn-in for a fifth term, President The revival of Uganda airlines will raise the number of travellers Yoweri Museveni, during the here to outcompete neighbours as a tourism destination Independence Day celebrations in Kiyunga, Luuka district, announced AFRICA: Ithe revival of the Uganda Airlines, after a hiatus of 15 years. Estimated 274 million TRAVELLERS RECEIVED IN UGANDA: In August 2019 Uganda Airlines made air passengers by 2036 its inaugural flight to Jomo Kenyatta 2019: 1.7 million International Airport in Kenya. - The International Air Transport The national airline started with two Association (IATA) Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft with flights to seven destinations, including Nairobi, 1.4 million Mombasa, Dar-es-salaam, Mogadishu, 2014: Kilimanjaro, Bujumbura and Juba. In October, two passenger planes were delivered into the country, doubling the size of the fledging airlines fleet. This enabled the airline to expand its route network to Of the 5 million nine, including Kinshasha in DR Congo, Zanzibar, Asmara, Hargeisa, Lusaka, direct jobs generated by Harare, Johannesburg, Djibouti and Addis the air transport industry worldwide, Ababa. Uganda Airlines expects to receive two 4.3 million people are employed Airbus A330 Neo planes soon. The first by the airlines and airports (aviation sector), will arrive by the end of the year, and the second a few months later. These are contributing around $275b of GDP to the global economy. expected to ply the longer routes. According to the National Planning Authority, due to the absence of a national carrier, Uganda was losing about $540m of tourists coming into the important trade facilitator. annually, in the form of high transport country. In 2019, Uganda It increases the global reach costs mostly resulting from extra charges to received a total of 1.7 PROFITABILITY OF THE AIRLINES for companies, enables them passengers moving in and out of Entebbe million travellers, which is For Uganda Airlines to be profitable in the face of cut-throat to get products to market International Airport. an increase from 1.4 million competition from established regional and international more quickly and allows travellers received in 2014. airlines, President Yoweri Museveni advises that the new them to be more responsive WHY THE REVIVAL The revival of Uganda airlines should target Ugandans in the diaspora, Asian- to customer needs,” Muleya “There was need to enhance the country’s airlines will undeniably raise Ugandans who were expelled by Idi Amin in the 1970s, said. competitiveness by reducing the cost of the number of travellers Ugandan businesspeople and tourists. “A functional national air transport and easing connectivity to higher to compete for “Sometimes bad things create good things. During Amin’s airline has the potential and from Uganda,”said former transport the neighbouring tourism time, many Ugandans ran away because of insecurity and when to improve the balance minister Monica Azuba. destinations. they got where they went, they established themselves and of trade by saving and Other reasons included supporting the The current traffic at they always want to come back. So, you should establish their generating foreign exchange faster harnessing of opportunities in the Entebbe is expected to exact figures. That diaspora in North America, UK and Southern directly and indirectly economy to promote tourism, agriculture, shoot up in the coming Africa is big, find out how big it is because they are always through foreign exchange minerals, oil and gas, as well as meeting the years and the airline will travelling,” Museveni said. premium savings and spin- growing demand for air transport (both for create both direct and The President adds that the tourists who come to Uganda off activities,” Muleya said. passengers and cargo) indirect jobs for Ugandans. are always inconvenienced by several He added that there will For years now, the Africa air business It is estimated that stopovers in different capitals like also be a balance of aviation has been showing great potential, with 5% over half of international Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Kigali. opportunities arising from more Africans flying than ever before and Projected tourists globally travel to “What will happen if a tourist can mutually beneficial bilateral the numbers are expected to grow by 5% annual their destinations by air. fly directly from the UK to Entebbe agreements and benefits annually in the next 20 years as reported by percentage Uganda’s tourism potential or from Guangzhou to Entebbe only attributable to national DW. growth rate will be boosted by the or from Amsterdam to Entebbe?” airlines. “The International Air Transport in the next national airline’s services Museveni said. He added Before, only foreign Association (IATA) estimates that the 20 years with and promotion of brand that the country will save airlines were benefiting continent will see 274 million air passengers more Africans “Uganda” through its in the excess of $400m in from Uganda’s aviation by 2036. Yet, despite such estimates, Africa flying than marketing power, travel foreign exchange, which market, with revenue remains an underserved market, with ever before connections and visibility Ugandans travelling and profits repatriated to passengers being forced to fly from one internationally. outside pay for their home countries. African country to a neighbouring nation Other than promoting trips. Uganda Airlines will via hubs such Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, tourism, the air transport also create employment Nairobi or even via Europe or Dubai, industry has a substantial and offer citizens the because there are no direct flights. It is economic impact, both opportunity to develop these connection gaps that we are coming through its own activities of GDP to the global markets. careers and participate in in to fill,” Azuba said. 4.3 and as an enabler of other economy. “One of air transport’s an essential and growing industries. most important economic aviation industry worldwide. BOOST TOURISM Of the five million PROMOTING EXPORTS benefits is its effect on “The absence of a The revival of Uganda national carrier will million direct jobs generated by Cornwell Muleya, the international trade, national airline was limiting push the tourism in the Pearl of Africa to People the air transport industry Uganda Airlines Chief which plays a key role opportunities for Ugandans the peak by enhancing direct flight routes employed by worldwide, 4.3 million Executive Officer, in promoting economic to develop careers and to Uganda for tourists after exclusions of the airlines people are employed by highlighted the promotion growth in countries benefit from the global the initial inconveniences associated with and airports the airlines and airports of exports through the at different stages of rapidly growing revenues in worldwide various stopovers. (aviation sector) globally, facilitation of access of development,” he said. the aviation sector,” Muleya There has been an increase in the number contributing around $275b goods to international “Air transport is an said.