Uganda Airlines will launch daily flights to Kigali from November 18, ending years in which RwandAir has largely enjoyed a monopoly on direct scheduled services between Uganda and Rwanda, as the national carrier accelerates its regional expansion strategy.
The rejuvenated airline also announced four weekly flights to Accra, Ghana, beginning October 27, with management describing both destinations as commercially attractive markets driven by business travel, trade, tourism and investment.
The Kigali route will be operated using the airline's Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet fleet, while the Accra service will be flown by a Boeing 737-800 wet leased from Ethiopian Airlines and registered ET-APL.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake said the airline should have entered the Kigali market much earlier.
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"We started the Kigali route very late. I believe it should have been launched on day one," Wake said.
His remarks underscore the strategic importance of one of East Africa's busiest business corridors. Despite the close political and economic ties between Uganda and Rwanda, Uganda Airlines has, until now, been absent from the direct Entebbe-Kigali market.
For years, RwandAir has been the only airline consistently operating nonstop scheduled passenger flights between the two capitals.
While some international airlines such as Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines and EgyptAir have carried passengers between Kigali and Entebbe as part of multi-stop international services, they have not provided the same frequency or market focus as RwandAir.
That has left the Rwandan national carrier with a dominant position on the route.
The entry of Uganda Airlines is expected to increase competition, giving travellers more scheduling options and potentially reducing fares.
"The launch of Accra and Kigali marks another key milestone in Uganda Airlines' growth strategy," Girma Wake said.
"As Africa's connectivity continues to grow, these routes will strengthen commercial and tourism links while offering our guests greater convenience and more travel choices. We remain committed to connecting Africa and supporting regional integration through reliable and efficient air transport."
Kigali links two of East Africa's fastest-growing economies. The route offers seamless travel between the region's key commercial and tourism centres, providing convenient onward connections through Entebbe to destinations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Rwanda's High Commissioner to Uganda, John Rutabana, welcomed the move, saying it could lower ticket prices, widen travel choices and strengthen regional connectivity between the neighbouring countries.
Beyond passenger traffic, the airline believes Kigali offers opportunities to capture growing business travel, government travel, conference traffic and tourism flows between the two members of the East African Community.
However, the route will not be without challenges.
Uganda Airlines will be entering a market where RwandAir already enjoys strong brand recognition, established customer loyalty and a mature sales network built over many years.
The relatively short flying time between Entebbe and Kigali also means fares have historically been competitive, leaving limited room for premium pricing.
Sustaining daily operations will therefore depend on consistently strong passenger loads, efficient scheduling and competitive pricing.
The airline will also need to differentiate itself through service quality, convenient connections beyond Entebbe and integration with its wider African network.
The Kigali service could become more valuable if Uganda Airlines succeeds in positioning Entebbe as the regional connecting hub it once was, allowing passengers from Rwanda to access destinations such as Lagos, Abuja, Juba, Kinshasa, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Zanzibar and, later, London and other planned long-haul routes through a single carrier.
The launch of Accra reflects a different commercial strategy.
West Africa remains one of the least directly connected regions from East Africa, despite growing trade and investment ties. Uganda Airlines says Accra presents significant opportunities in business, tourism and cargo while providing a new gateway into the West African market.
The route is also expected to strengthen commercial links under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), improve access for exporters and create new opportunities for onward travel within West Africa.
The airline said both Kigali and Accra remain under-connected to much of Eastern and Southern Africa and have until now been unserved by Uganda Airlines.
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The expansion comes weeks after Uganda Airlines signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase eight new aircraft, its first direct order from the American manufacturer.
The order comprises four Boeing 737-8 aircraft for regional, Middle Eastern and Indian routes and four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for long-haul services to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Wake said Boeing's stronger support ecosystem on the continent influenced the decision.
"Uganda Airlines chose Boeing because of its stronger support ecosystem in Africa. While Boeing and Airbus aircraft are broadly comparable, easier access to training, simulators and technical support made Boeing the more practical choice," he said.
Uganda Airlines resumed commercial operations in 2019 and currently operates two Airbus A330-800neo aircraft, four Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jets and one wet-leased Boeing 737-800.
With the addition of Kigali and Accra, the airline continues its drive to increase capacity, deepen intra-African connectivity and position Entebbe International Airport as a strategic aviation hub linking Eastern, Central and West Africa.
