By Frank Kamuntu
Entebbe: The inaugural flight of Uganda Airlines cost the company up to 120 million shillings for all passengers on board according to Jennipher Bamutulaki Musiime the Marketing and Commercial Director.
The awaited Uganda Airlines on Tuesday August 27 2019 made a historical inaugural flight to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – JKIA with 74 passengers on board.
Among them were three cabinet officials led by the Minister for Works and Transport Monica Ntege Azuba, Uganda Airlines and Civil Aviation officials, tour operators, celebrities and journalists.
The crew had four hostesses and two pilots. Upon arrival at JKIA the officials were welcomed by the Ugandan High Commissioner Phibby Awere Otaala and Jonny Andersen the Chief Executive of Kenya Airports Authority who thanked Government for the revival of the airlines.
A return journey from JKIA costs up to $ 440 (about 1.62 million shillings), according to the recently advertised rates.
Bamutulaki said, the offer to several officials, celebrities and business operators across the country was a way to market the airline to all the people across the region.
Bombardier said although the CRJ-900 is a 76 carrier. It estimates that at $1.8 a gallon and a 500nm sector, the CRJ-900 has a unit cost of 10 cents.
Geoffrey Kubinga, a Manager at Emirates airline said it requires between 7,000 – 12,000 litres of fuel to operate a medium-sized aircraft like a Bombardier CRJ 900 from Entebbe International Airport to Kenya.
The aircraft that started its UR 202 flight at 11:10 am has a 2 GE CF34-8C5 turbofans engine and a fuel sage diameter of 2.7 meters.
Earlier, an air ticket of one of the passengers on board emerged handwritten on social media raising criticism of the preparedness of the company to handle commercial flights. The maiden commercial flight for the airline company has started today 28 August 2019.
