Uganda Airlines (1976–2001)

Uganda Airlines was the flag carrier of Uganda.[1] The airline was established in May 1976 (1976-05), and started operations in 1977. It was headquartered in Entebbe, Wakiso District, Uganda, and operated from its hub in Entebbe International Airport.[2]

Uganda Airlines
IATA ICAO Callsign
QU UGA UGANDA
FoundedMay 1976 (1976-05)
Commenced operations1977 (1977)
Ceased operationsMay 2001 (2001-05)
Hubs
Destinations8 (at the time of closure)
Parent companyGovernment of Uganda
HeadquartersEntebbe, Wakiso District, Uganda

Attempts were made by the Government of Uganda to privatise the company, but all potential bidders pulled out, eventually leading to the liquidation of Uganda Airlines Corporation in May 2001 (2001-05). The airline was later revived and began flying again in 2019 under the same name, Uganda Airlines.[3]

History
A Uganda Airlines Boeing 707-320C at Euroairport in 1980.

Uganda Airlines was founded as a subsidiary of the government-owned Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) in May 1976 (1976-05) as a replacement of the services previously operated by East African Airways.[4] It commenced operations in 1977, when Uganda Aviation Services (UAS), set up by British United Airways in 1965 but then a UDC subsidiary, was absorbed by Uganda Airlines, taking over the UAS route network.[4][5][6] Following delivery of the first Boeing 707-320C in the late 1970s, new routes to Brussels, London and Rome were inaugurated. A second Boeing 707-320C entered the fleet in 1981. That year, new routes to Cairo, Cologne and Dubai were launched, followed by Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Nairobi in subsequent years.[7]

By March 1990 (1990-03) the fleet included one Boeing 707-320C, two Fokker F27-600s, one Lockheed L-100-30, one Twin Otter and one B-N Trislander.[8] A Boeing 737 was leased from Air Zimbabwe in 1994 to serve Bujumbura and Kigali, as well as destinations in South Africa. Tel Aviv was added to the route network in 1995, and by 1998 all European routes were discontinued.[7]

Upon the creation of Alliance Air in late 1994—later known as SA Alliance—an entity jointly owned by the Tanzanian and Ugandan governments, Air Tanzania and Uganda Airlines, as well as by South African Airways (SAA), Tanzania and Uganda granted the rights of long-haul operations to the new airline.[9][10][11] The agreement intended to feed Alliance Air's operations with both Air Tanzania and Uganda Airlines domestic and regional services.[9][12] However, both regional carriers grew less than expected, and the deficit Uganda Airlines accumulated led the Ugandan Government to make a decision on whether to liquidate the airline or privatise it.[9]

Privatisation attempt and collapse

In the late 1990s, the airline was in a delicate cash position owing to mismanagement,[13] when the Government of Uganda planned to privatise the debt-ridden airline, seeking for an investor to keep the company afloat. Initially, several firms held an interest in taking over Uganda Airlines. SA Alliance/SAA, Air Mauritius, British Airways, Johannesburg-based Inter Air, Kenya Airways, and Sabena, all seemed to be interested bidders at the beginning,[13][14][15] but eventually declined to submit bids, except for SAA that remained the only bidder by early 1999.[16][17] SAA would have had a 49% participation in the company;[16] nevertheless, it later dropped its bid after encountering strong legislature opposition.[9][18] Having no offers, the Ugandan Government liquidated the airline in May 2001 (2001-05).[19][20]

Destinations
A Uganda Airlines Boeing 707-320C at Fiumicino Airport in 1987.

From its hub in Entebbe International Airport, in its heyday the company used to operate scheduled services to destinations within Africa, Europe and Middle East. Following is a list of destinations Uganda Airlines served all through its history:

Country City Airport Notes Refs
BelgiumBrusselsBrussels Airport—[21]
BurundiBujumburaBujumbura International Airport—[22]
Democratic Republic of the CongoGomaGoma International Airport—[23]
KinshasaN'djili Airport—[23]
GermanyCologneCologne Bonn Airport—[24]
IsraelTel AvivBen Gurion Airport—[7]
ItalyRomeLeonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport—[24]
KenyaMombasaMoi International Airport—[25]
NairobiJomo Kenyatta International Airport—[24]
RwandaKigaliKigali International Airport—[26]
South AfricaJohannesburgOR Tambo International Airport—[26]
TanzaniaDar-es-SalaamJulius Nyerere International Airport—[24]
KilimanjaroKilimanjaro International Airport—[24]
MwanzaMwanza Airport—[27]
UgandaAruaArua Airport—[24]
Entebbe/KampalaEntebbe International AirportHub[24]
GuluGulu Airport—[24]
KaseseKasese Airport—[24]
MbararaMbarara Airport—[24]
SorotiSoroti Airport—[28]
TororoTororo Airport—[28]
United Arab EmiratesDubaiDubai International Airport—[24]
United KingdomLondonGatwick Airport—[24]
LondonStansted Airport—[29]
ZambiaLusakaLusaka International Airport—[26]
ZimbabweHarareHarare International Airport—[26]

Codeshare agreements

Following is a list of companies Uganda Airlines had codeshare agreements with at the time of closure; routes were actually operated by Uganda Airlines:[30]

  • Air Tanzania, Dar-es-Salaam and Johannesburg to/from Entebbe
  • Emirates, Dubai to/from Entebbe
  • Kenya Airways, Nairobi to/from Entebbe

Fleet
5X-UBC, a Uganda Airlines Boeing 707-320C, is seen here at Fiumicino Airport in 1983. This very aircraft crashed at the same airport on 17 October 1988.

Historically, the company operated the following aircraft:

Accidents and incidents

According to Aviation Safety Network, the airline experienced three accidents/incidents throughout its history; only one of them yielded fatalities.[32] Hull-losses are listed below.

  • 1 April 1979: A Boeing 707-320C, registration 5X-UAL, that was standing at Entebbe International Airport, was destroyed by forces of the Tanzanian Army during the Uganda–Tanzania War. No fatalities were reported.[33]
  • 17 October 1988: Flight 775 was an international scheduled London-Gatwick–Rome-Fiumicino–Entebbe passenger service that crashed because of poor visibility on the final stage of its first leg, during the approach phase to Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport. The flight was operated with a Boeing 707-320C, tail number 5X-UBC. The aircraft broke up after hitting the roof of a building, and burst into flames. Out of 52 occupants aboard, there were 33 fatalities, while many survivors were seriously injured.[34][35][36]

See also

References
  1. "Uganda plans to relaunch Uganda Airlines and invest USD400 million in airport developments". Centre for Aviation. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 12 August 2013.
  2. Tentena, Paul (16 July 2013). "Uganda Ponders Airline Revival". Allafrica.com. East African Business Week. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013.
  3. 18 Jul; On-Location, 2018 Mark Nensel | ATW. "Revived Uganda flag carrier orders CRJ900s, A330neos". atwonline.com. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  4. "World Airline Directory – Uganda Airlines". Flight International: 129. 30 March 1985. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  5. "World airline directory 1979 – Uganda Airlines". Flight International. 115 (3658): 1410. 28 April 1979. Archived 16 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "World airline directory – Uganda Aviation Services (UAS)". Flight International: 61. 21 March 1974. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  7. Guttery 1998, p. 215.
  8. "World Airline Directory – Uganda Airlines". Flight International. 137 (4207): 135. 14–20 March 1990. ISSN 0015-3710. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013.
  9. Wakabi, Michael (3 November 1999). "Connecting East Africa". Flightglobal. Flight International. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012.
  10. Wakabi, Michael (17 February 1999). "Alliance becomes SA Alliance". Flightglobal. Flight International. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012.
  11. "African turf fight". Flightglobal. Airline Business. 1 January 1998. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014.
  12. "Three nations combine to form new African carrier". Flight International. 146 (4452): 2. 21 December 1994 – 3 January 1995. ISSN 0015-3710. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Air Tanzania and Uganda Airlines, both of which are minor shareholders in Alliance, will act as feeders for the new airline.
  13. Gill, Tom (1 June 1998). "Uganda eyes foreign cash". Flightglobal.com. Airline Business. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  14. Yates, Chris (25 November 1998). "Pressure mounts for Uganda Airlines". London: Flightglobal.com. Flight International. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  15. "Air Mauritius pulls out of Uganda discussions". Flight International: 24. 28 April – 4 May 1999. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  16. Wakabi, Michael (11 January 2000). "Uganda slashes services ahead of SAA takeover". Kampala: Flightglobal.com. Flight International. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  17. Wakabi, Michael (12 May 1999). "Uganda discusses airline sale with SAA". Kampala: Flightglobal.com. Flight International. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  18. Wakabi, Michael (25 April 2000). "SAA sets its sights on Air Tanzania after pulling out of bid for Uganda". Kampala: Flightglobal.com. Flight International. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  19. "Increasing tourism, economic growth and oil make Uganda an attractive destination". Centre for Aviation. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016.
  20. "Air Uganda opens flights to Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania". Sudan Tribune. Reuters. 16 November 2007. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012.
  21. "Uganda Airlines Summer Schedules (Effective 1 April 1982 – 31 October 1982)—European services". Airline Timetable Images. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013.
  22. "World Airline Directory – Uganda Airlines". Flight International: 109. 4–10 April 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  23. "World Airline Directory – Uganda Airlines" (PDF). Flight International: 91. 1–7 April 1998. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  24. "Uganda Airlines Timetable (Effective 30 March 1986 – 25 October 1986)". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  25. "World Airline Directory – Uganda Airlines" (PDF). Flight International: 84. 3–9 April 1996. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  26. "World Airline Directory – Uganda Airlines" (pdf). Flight International: 106. 31 March – 6 April 1999. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  27. "Uganda Airlines Summer Schedules (Effective 1 April 1982 – 31 October 1982)—International services: Tanzania/Kenya/Uganda". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  28. "Uganda Airlines Summer Schedules (Effective 1 April 1982 – 31 October 1982)—Domestic services: East/Northern". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  29. "Amin cargo flights banned by Britain" (PDF). Flight International: 815. 17 March 1979. Retrieved 12 May 2011. Uganda Airlines' regular cargo flights between Stansted and Entebbe have been stopped by the British Government, although there is no embargo on return services.
  30. Wakabi, Michael (6 March 2001). "Uganda Airlines liquidation clears way for start-ups". Flightglobal. Flight International. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  31. Wakabi, Michael (4 August 1999). "Serving Africa". Flightglobal. Flight International. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  32. "Accident record for Uganda Airlines". Aviation Safety Network. 28 November 2004. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  33. Incident description for 5X-UAL at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 January 2012.
  34. Accident description for 5X-UBC at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 19 July 2011.
  35. "COMMERCIAL FLIGHT SAFETY – FATAL ACCIDENTS: SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHTS" (pdf). Flight International: 51. 21 January 1989. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  36. Suro, Robert (17 October 1988). "30 Dead in Jet Crash Near Rome". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2012.

Bibliography
  • Guttery, Ben R. (1998). Encyclopedia of African Airlines. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-7864-0495-7.

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