Uganda Airlines Soon Adding London Flights (Hopefully)
Intro
Uganda Airlines is one of the few carriers in Africa that operate the A330neo, more specifically, the airline has a fleet of two A330-800neos that they specifically ordered for long-haul flights. Currently these two aircraft serve Mumbai and Dubai, but that might soon change...
The Details
A while ago, the flag carrier of Uganda was looking to launch flights from Entebbe to London Heathrow. After looking to acquire slots at the most prestigious airport in the UK, it ended up not working out. While Heathrow might not have worked out, it seems that the airline has gathered the necessary slots for London Gatwick!
There seems to be a minor but noteworthy update here, as Uganda Airlines has added London Gatwick to their booking system as of a few days ago. Considering the talks of adding London to the destination list have been ongoing for over 4 years, this is a noteworthy development.
At this time the flights are not bookable, but I would presume that in the coming weeks-months, we might yet see these flights go on sale.
My Thoughts
I have always been a big fan of airlines adding new routes, and more so when those routes entail my favorite continent in the world: Africa. Uganda Airlines is an airline I have been dying to fly, and this might prove the perfect opportunity to get onboard on of these birds.
However, I am concerned about if we will see these economics work. Obviously, operating a flight to London is extremely economical, with all of the landing permits needed, taxes, etc. Gatwick is a bit better, but it also means that Uganda Airlines will need to get a decent demand on this route. I'll be curious to know if they are able to at least somewhat break even on this route. Only time shall tell.
Final Thoughts
While talks of Uganda Airlines launching direct service from Entebbe to London has been ongoing for the past 4 years, it seems that these flights might soon be launching. Uganda Airlines has added London Gatwick to their booking site, and I will be curious to see when these flights go on sale.
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