Uganda Airlines has momentarily halted the national carriers long haul flights between Entebbe and various airport destinations with it’s A330-800neo Aircraft.
In a brief statement released Thursday evening, the national carrier noted that it was stopping operations using the largest Aircraft in it’s fleet due to operational challenges.
“We are currently experiencing disruptions on our long-haul schedules operated with our Airbus A330-800neo aircraft” the statement read.
Without giving a timeline, the Airline noted that it was making every effort to restore the long haul flights.
“We are working diligently to restore the long-haul schedule for your future travel needs, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience”.
Even though the Airline management declined to elaborate more on the particular operational challenges, the stopping of the flights is set to affect travelers and business people who have been using the direct flights.
The affected routes include Entebbe to London Gatwick International Airport and Entebbe to Dubai.
The Long haul flight schedules were launched in October, 2021 after the National Carrier acquired additional two Aircraft, the Airbus A330-800neos which government described then as, “state of the art aircraft with competitive features that make it enjoyable and comfortable.
Recently, the Airline has faced public backlash after the CEO, Jenifer Bamuturaki revealed that the national carrier is set to retire its fleet of Bombardier CRJ 900 jets due to mounting challenges in sourcing spare parts.
Bamuturaki made the revelation while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) noting that the move will see the national carrier phase out its four CRJ 900s, which have been its workhorses for regional routes since the airline’s relaunch.
Bamuturaki’s appearance before the committee was prompted by the Auditor General’s report for the 2023/24 financial year, which revealed a significant loss of Shs 237.8 billion for the airline.
Bamuturaki shocked members of COSACE when she attributed the 237.855billion shilling loss the company made in 2024 on the high costs of fuel, crew allowances and aircraft depreciation
She noted that the CRJ’s operational lifespan for many airlines is typically between 10 to 12 years, and Uganda Airlines is currently holding internal discussions about the timeline for their final retirement.
