Uganda Airlines is set to resume Dubai Flights on Saturday, January 08, 2022, following the lifting of the flight ban by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on direct passenger services into the country.
The airline announced on Friday that it will resume its flights on January 8, and it will now fly the route four times a week that is Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
“We’ve resumed our flights to Dubai and taking all measures necessary to make sure you are protected when you travel with us. Effective from 08 January 2022 flights from Entebbe in Uganda will resume,” the airline said.
According to the airlines, of all the African Airlines which were suspended last month, it’s only Uganda Airline whose ban has been lifted.
However, there are some new precautions that have been put in place and among them include; passengers presenting a printed copy of a valid negative Covid-19 PCR test result (displaying a QR code) from a test taken at an approved health service not more than 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure of their flight to Dubai.
Passengers are also expected to take a rapid PCR test – based on molecular diagnostic testing intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid for SARS-COV-2 viral RNA – at Entebbe airport not more than six hours before the departure time of the flight with the test report displaying a QR code.
“Our flight is scheduled in the evening tomorrow and we urge our passengers to go for the covid test for the 48 hours, the 6-hour Covid-test will be done at the airport and also they should be ready for the Covid test when they land at Dubai airport, and then they are urged to self-quarantine until they get their results,” said spokesperson Uganda Airline Shakirah Rahim Lamar.
Nevertheless, the airline says the new regulations do not apply to UAE citizens or other categories of exempted passengers as previously published.
A week ago, UAE suspended flights from Uganda to Dubai until further notice after passengers with negative Covid-19 results tested positive on arrival in Dubai.
In October last year, the airline launched its first intercontinental flight to Dubai which has been one of its most lucrative routes.
During the week when passengers’ flights were suspended, Uganda Airlines has been transporting mainly cargo between Entebbe and Dubai and Airline officials say that it has inadvertently helped it to build its cargo capacity.
“It has made us intensify our need to streamline our cargo operations. So that has helped the cargo department to be known in the market. Now the market knows that Uganda Airlines has a cargo flight, these are the prices and these are times. It has given us a chance to be known,” said Jennifer Bamuturaki, the airline’s interim CEO Uganda Airline.
According to Uganda Airlines, initially the cargo fetched the Airline around $13,000 a week but that has now risen to between $30,000 and $45,000, however, the airline’s target is between $70,000 to $100,000.
Currently, Dubai is one of the top four routes from Entebbe International Airport, with an average of 17 flights a week, all operated by; Uganda Airlines, Fly Emirates, Fly Dubai, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
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