Uganda Airlines maiden flight pushed from July to August

Ugandans will have to wait a little longer for the maiden first commercial flight of revived national carrier, Uganda Airlines.

This, after it was confirmed by the Minister of Works and Transport that flights will now commence in August and not in July as earlier communicated.

The first two of the newly acquired Bombardier CRJ900s landed at Entebbe Airport from Canada in April.

Then, it was said, the Shs280bn aircrafts – the first in the series to have the new cabin enhancements – would not immediately start commercial flights until they complete the 90-day Air Operator Certification (AOC certification) process.

The process was due to end in July 28.

According to Eng Monica Azuba, the national carrier is yet to get the AOC from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

“The targeted date for the issuance of the air operating certificate to the airline by CAA July 28, 2019. This means that Uganda Airlines can fly after that date,” said Azuba told Parliament.

She however said the bookings, reservations, ticketing and accounting systems of Uganda Airlines have been activated but in a test environment.

“The systems have been set up using the provisional IATA designator and IATA accounting codes. The issuance of the air operating certificate will therefore trigger the activation of the codes in a live environment,” she said.

On top of the AOC, the airline must secure foreign air operator permits and licenses from destination countries before it can fly.

Some of the first planned destinations, according to teaser adverts are Juba, Bujumbura, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro, Mogadishu, Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.