The national airline Uganda Airlines has been going through a period of financial turbulence for several years, which has made it difficult to maintain its fleet. Proof of this is the grounding of its two long-haul aircraft Airbus A330-800 for "unscheduled maintenance", the first in mid-January and the second at the end of February. The two aircraft enable the airline to connect the country to its only European destination - London-Gatwick - and to a single Asian destination - Bombay (Mumbai). This has caused major disruption to the airline's international network. The flight to London is less than a year old, having been launched last May.
Without the two aircraft, Uganda Airlines would have been condemned to connecting Entebbe only to regional destinations. Finally, the carrier has found a solution. On 7 March, the Ugandan airline signed a wet-lease agreement with Ethiopian Airlines for the use of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
This solution, approved for a period of two months, has enabled Uganda Airlines to partially relaunch its intercontinental flights. Since 10 March, the airline has been offering three flights a week between Entebbe and London-Gatwick. Maintaining this route is particularly strategic for the airline. Its suspension would have automatically led to the withdrawal of its slots on the British hub.
However, the episode highlights the fragility of Uganda Airlines' fleet. Apart from its two A330-800s, which are currently grounded, the company has only one aircraft. Airbus A320 leased for certain medium-haul operations, as well as several regional aircraft Bombardier CRJ-900. This limited fleet makes the company particularly vulnerable to technical problems. What's more, technical maintenance at Entebbe is extremely limited.
However, Uganda Airlines will have to find a permanent solution as soon as possible to ensure the continuity of its flights within the next two months.
