Uganda’s national carrier, Uganda Airlines, has outlined an ambitious 10-year strategy to expand infrastructure, grow its fleet, and improve financial performance, as the airline reports declining losses and rising revenues.
The plan was presented during the airline’s 4th Annual General Meeting held in Kampala in late April, where management detailed a roadmap to transition the state-owned carrier from a startup into a competitive international operator.
Board Chairperson Priscilla Mirembe Serukka outlined a roadmap to transition the airline from a regional startup into a fully integrated international competitor. The MRO facility, previously estimated at approximately $9 million, is intended to reduce heavy costs associated with foreign maintenance providers for the airline’s current fleet of seven aircraft.
Parliament has approved UGX 422.3 billion (approximately $117 million) in funding, primarily for down payments on ten new aircraft: four Airbus narrowbody/medium-haul jets (A320neo/A321neo family), four Boeing widebodies, and two Boeing freighters, with initial deliveries targeted from 2031 onward.
The airline reported significant financial recovery, with a 27 percent reduction in net losses in 2025 and a 23 percent revenue increase from 349 billion to 437.3 billion shillings. Market share at Entebbe International Airport has reached 27 percent, with connecting passenger numbers rising.
Uganda Airlines currently operates scheduled flights to 17 destinations across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. The 10-year plan aims to expand this to 32 regional and international destinations, including new routes to China and other Far East markets.
The airline continues to face operational challenges. One of its four Bombardier CRJ900s has been out of service since November 2025, and one Airbus A330-800neo recently returned to service on April 17 after a prolonged grounding, while the other is temporarily replaced by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner wet-leased from Ethiopian Airlines.
The AGM was the first attended by acting CEO Girma Wake, the former Ethiopian Airlines CEO and chairman appointed in February 2026 to replace Jenifer Bamuturaki. State Minister for Privatisation and Investment Evelyn Anite expressed confidence in Wake’s leadership, stating that his vast experience marks “a new dawn for Uganda Airlines.”
