Former Uganda Airlines chief executive officer in court.....

Cornwell Muleya, the former boss of Uganda Airlines chief executive officer, appeared in Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday after being arrested on Tuesday for not complying with officials over financial mismanagement, unethical conduct, failure to supervise staff or halt corruption at the national carrier during his time in charge.

The prosecution said between May and June 2022 Muleya willfully and without reasonable justification or excuse, refused to comply with an order of the Inspectorate of Government dated May 23, 2022 requiring his attendance to give evidence and produce documents to the Inspectorate of Government, regarding mismanagement of public funds, procurements and recruitment of staff at the Uganda Airlines.

Muleya has denied the charges and was required to hand in his passport and post-high bail, the case continues.

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Airbus gains first A220 and A330 Flight Hour Services customers in Africa with Air Tanzania and Uganda Airlines

Two new airline customers in Africa have selected Airbus’ Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support their respective Airbus fleets: Air Tanzania for its A220s and Uganda Airlines for its A330neos. 

These two airlines will benefit from comprehensive material services including on-site-stock, access to Airbus’ spares pools and components engineering and repair services around the world. Airbus will guarantee spare parts availability, generating value through increased fleet availability and operating maintenance costs savings.

Their selections mark the first African customers for Airbus’ FHS on two new aircraft types, the A220 and the A330. They also increase Airbus’ FHS footprint in the African continent, further demonstrating the growing trust placed in Airbus’ services, both for Widebody and Single-Aisle fleets. 

Airbus’ FHS helps to secure fleet entry into service through an easy maintenance set-up and access to an established industrial set-up, while maximising the aircraft availability through component reliability.

Notably, for A220 customers FHS offers a large stock availability, both for on-site stock management and parts pooling, and a dedicated operational supply chain already supporting the type’s growing customer base. 

Overall the global Airbus fleet covered by FHS has increased by more than 25% over the past two years to more than 1,100 aircraft, confirming the relevancy of flexible power-by-hour solutions for airlines to secure efficient operations and contain costs.

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Uganda Airlines flies further with its brand-new A330neo

Uganda Airlines, the country’s  flag-carrier, has taken delivery of its first A330neo, the latest version of the most popular widebody airliner. It is the first Airbus aircraft delivered to Uganda Airlines, which was established in 2019. 

In line with the Company's strategy to keep offering its customers unbeatable economics, increased operational efficiency and superior passenger comfort, the A330-800 is the latest addition to Airbus’ commercial aircraft product line. Thanks to its tailored, mid-sized capacity and its excellent range versatility, the A330neo is considered the ideal aircraft to operate as part of the post-COVID-19 recovery.

The A330neo will enable the new airline to launch its long-range operations with non-stop intercontinental flights to the Middle East, Europe and Asia. 

The rise of the revived Uganda Airlines

After a break of almost twenty years, the national carrier of the African nation of Uganda took to the skies earlier this week, to much fanfare and media attention.

Uganda Airlines has risen from the ashes to embark on a mission to carve out a niche on the already crowded African commercial aviation industry that seems to be permanently in a state of flux over the last decade or so.  

The 'new' airline, asks passengers to fly the Crane to the Pearl of Africa on the side of its new state of the art Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. The Crane not only adorns the tails of the airline's aircraft, it is also the centrepiece of the Ugandan flag, symbolising the forward movement of the country. For many, Uganda is known as the Pearl of Africa for a vast number of reasons, not least because of its beautiful scenery and greenery, its wildlife, greenery and its unique and vibrant culture.

"We undertake to be a world-class airline that will exceed customer expectations through high-quality service," Uganda Airlines CEO Ephraim Bagenda said at a ceremony on Tuesday at Entebbe International Airport, some 40km south of the nation's capital, Kampala, and currently the country's sole international airport.

The immediate plans are for the airline to operate routes to seven key regional destinations in Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and South Sudan Bagenda said prior to the firm's inaugural flight to Nairobi, Kenya.

Bombardier deliver the first CRJ900s to Uganda Airlines

 

Tuesday, April 16th was a special day for Bombardier Commercial Aircraft and Uganda National Airlines Company as the Canadian manufacturer handed over two bright shiny new CRJ900 aircraft to the fledgeling airline. 

This was the first two aircraft of four CRJ900 that were ordered during the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK during the summer of 2018. The new airline has selected Bombardier's CRJ900 regional jets fitted with the ATMOSPHÈRE cabin for its upcoming debut, making it the first operator in Africa with this enhanced cabin experience.

The aircraft will be deployed on routes to Goma, Mogadishu, Kigali, Harare, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Lusaka, Khartoum and Kinshasa. There are also plans to open routes to Johannesburg and Accra.  

The CRJ900 delivery ceremony held on Tuesday at Bombardier’s Mirabel, Québec facility, was attended by executives of both Uganda Airlines and Bombardier Commercial Aircraft as well as several shop floor employees who build the CRJ900 aircraft. “We are thrilled to commence our operations with the world’s leading regional jet, and we look forward to providing the most modern passenger experience in regional aviation to the people of Uganda and across Africa,” said Ephraim Bagenda, CEO, Uganda National Airlines.”

Watch a video of the delivery ceremony here.

“We congratulate Uganda Airlines for taking delivery of their very first CRJ900 jetliner fitted with the ATMOSPHÈRE cabin in a dual-class configuration with 76 seats, including 12 first class seats. The CRJ Series is recognised for its superior economics and efficiency and I am confident that it will be the stepping stone for the development of Uganda’s regional air travel”, said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

The delivery flight will be a long one, with multiple stops along the way. It is scheduled to depart on the 19th from Montreal and then go to Goose Bay for refuelling and then on to Iceland before stopping at Maastricht and Aswan before it flies onto Entebbe where it is scheduled to arrive on 23rd April at around 1500.

The airline also has two Airbus A330's on order from the European planemaker with which it plans to open up long-haul routes. 

(Images Bombardier / Uganda national Airlines)

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Uganda Airlines firms up orders for two Airbus A330neo aircraft

Uganda Airlines, the national carrier of Uganda, has firmed up its order for two A330-800 airliners, the latest version of the most popular A330 widebody airliner. 

Fitted with the new Airspace by Airbus cabin, the A330neo will bring a range of benefits to Uganda Airlines and its customers, offering unrivalled efficiencies combined with the most modern cabin.