By Spy Uganda
Entebbe: As we write this, Uganda airlines has received another Airbus A330neo that arrived at Entebbe International Airport from Southern France this morning.
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According to reports, the fancy Airbus was fully loaded with medical supplies, a timely donation from Airbus Foundation to Uganda through UNICEF.
The plane left Toulouse at 2am Uganda time, and onboard was the Ministry of Works Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa who travelled to receive it.
READ ALSO: Pomp & Glamour As Uganda Receives Multibillion Swanky Airbus A330neo Aircraft
The A330neo is the latest version of the most popular widebody airliner and will be the second Airbus aircraft delivered to Uganda Airlines, which was re-established in 2019.
The first, Airbus was received by President Yoweri Museveni on December 22 last year while the second has been received by Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda at 9.30am at Entebbe International Airport.
READ ALSO: Uganda’s Newly Purchased & First-Ever Airbus To Land At Entebbe Airport On Tuesday
In a statement in December, Airbus had said the country’s flag-carrier had made the perfect choice of aircraft needed to operate in the new normal of post-COVID-19 recovery.
The A330neo will enable the newly re-launched airline to launch its long-range operations with non-stop intercontinental flights to the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
READ ALSO: Uganda Airlines Buys New CRJ 900 Bombardier Planes As Entebbe Airport Develops Huge Cracks
“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,” Airbus said in its statement.
The A330neo is a true new-generation aircraft, building on the features of the popular A330 and using technology developed for the A350.
The aircraft burns 25% less fuel per seat than previous generation competitors. The A330neo cabin offers a unique passenger experience with more personal space and the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and connectivity.
Featuring Airbus’ Airspace cabin, passengers can enjoy a unique experience which includes 20 full-flat, business-class beds, 28 premium-economy seats and 210 economy-class seats, totalling 258 seats.
“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,” Airbus said.
In a recent interview, Cornwell Muleya, the company acting CEO said, “We’re targeting mainly three connections to overseas markets, which is Dubai, London as well as the Chinese market in Guangzhou.”
Uganda currently has four bombardiers – CRJ 900 series, plying up to eight regional routes since August 2019.
The plane, according to Airbus, builds on the proven economics, versatility and reliability of the A330 Family, while reducing fuel consumption by about 25 per cent per seat versus previous generation competitors and increasing range by up to 1,500 nm compared to the majority of A330s in operation.
Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and features a new wing with increased span and A350-inspired Sharklets, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency.
The cabin provides the comfort of the new Airspace amenities including state-of-the-art passenger inflight entertainment and Wifi connectivity systems, amongst others.
Uganda Airlines currently operates flights to Bujumbura, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Juba, Mogadishu, and Kinshasa whereas more routes are in plan as the airline that had grounded for over 20 years seeks to establish itself among the continent’s big players in the airline’s world.
