When the first of Uganda Airlines CRJ900 aircraft – the 5XKOB and 5XEQU, touched down at Entebbe airport on April 23, we learnt that commercial operations of the national courier were to begin in July 2019.
The estimation was based on the time the certification process would take, with the five phases designed to take up to about 90 days to complete. However, as July comes into the final week, signs from the authorities point at a delay in the resurrection of flights.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Hon. Eng. Monica Azuba confirmed that Uganda Airlines will commence its first commercial flights in August this year. In a statement read out to Parliament, the minister said that the Civil Aviation Authority-CAA is yet to issue an Air Operating Certificate to the carrier.
The expectations on ground suggest that the Airline shall receive the certificate on July 28, 2019 – with a provisional certificate currently in play for testing the crafts and setting up systems to facilitate bookings, reservations and ticketing.
Uganda Airlines Air Operator Certification process
Some of the activities involved in the process include the acquisition and transport of aircraft spares; the purchase, implementation and testing of airline systems; and airport services contracting at all destinations across the network.
Other activities are: negotiating supplier contracts for operational services, fuel, catering, and technical handling; branding and uniform design; setting up of commercial offices and distribution network including airline association memberships; and the final online system design and roll out of booking systems and payment gateways.
After the Air Operating Certificate, Uganda Airlines is expected to secure foreign air operator permits and licenses from destination countries before it can fly. Some of the planned destinations to start with include Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Khartoum.
The Uganda Airlines CRJ900 aircraft will operate in dual-class configuration with 64 economy and 12 first class seats, totaling up to 76.
