By Andrew Irumba
State Minister for Works and Transport has Monday officially handed over Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to Uganda Airlines and Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), which clears them to start flying their newly acquired Airbus A330-800neo aircraft overhaul.
This milestone is one of the many that signifies the continued growth of Uganda Airlines in the Ugandan Aviation industry.
Last week we reported here that the International air regulators had cleared Uganda’s after eight months of rigorous 5-step processing procedures, among which included a demo flight to Johannesburg last week to ascertain compliance.
With this AOC inclusion, Uganda Airlines is now formally approved to carry Cargo and Dangerous Goods. This is of particular importance to the growth of trade and commerce in Uganda as it opens channels for the transportation of Cargo both into and out of Uganda.
While presiding over the official handover ceremony of the certificate, which was conducted inside the plane at Entebbe International airport, minister Byakama asked Ugandans to support their very own ‘baby’ by flying with it and giving it positive coverage than negative which may hinder its growth. Byamukama also thanked President Museveni for standing with the aviation team and ensuring that the airline was revamped.
“I want to ask the media and all Ugandans, that this is our own baby, let’s support to grow than fighting it and giving bad publicity. I also thank the president, HE Museveni who put in more extra personal effort in ensuring the resumption of the airlines,” he said.
The inclusion opens Uganda’s routes across continents with the official launch route being Dubai in October 2021. Other international and long-haul routes such as London and Guangzhou will follow.
With this certification, passengers will get to experience a new experience due to innovations from Commercial and IT systems which can be seen through Airline’s new website and improved communications solutions across the entire network.
Whereas COVID-19 has disrupted travel all over the World, Uganda Airlines says is committed to implementing the initiatives of its Business Plan, and look forward to effectively utilizing the Airbus by beginning flights soon. With its planned direct flights, They call on the public to support the Airline by flying with them to all destinations.
”The Airline will now turn its efforts to the Self Ground Handling initiatives and the Phase-in of the Uganda Airlines Approved Maintenance Organisation. All these are intended to give our Shareholders an efficient cost-benefit for the entire investment by running all functions in-house. We all but beg for your support and understanding as these processes take shape,” reads a statement released by the Airline after receiving Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).
”Our Pilots, Cabin Crew and other operational Staff have undergone rigorous training to international Aviation Standards and have been vetted as applicable by our regulatory partner in the industry the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. They are here to ensure that our passengers experience the highest levels of safety in the operation,” adds the statement.
The Airbus A330 is a state-of-the-art aircraft with competitive features to make travel enjoyable and comfortable. Some of these features include full lie-flat seats for the Business class, onboard Wi-Fi access throughout the aircraft, a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system with lots of blockbuster movies and increased legroom for all classes.
