Uganda's air cargo industry is set for an international spotlight after Entebbe-based cargo sales and service agent Jet Fresh Cargo was shortlisted for the General Sales and Service Agent (GSSA) of the Year award at the 2026 Air Cargo News Awards in London.
Jet Fresh is among six finalists competing for the prestigious industry award, alongside 4RCargo, ECS Group, FlyUs Aviation Group, Network Airline Services and Wexco Airfreight (UK).
The winner will be announced on October 21 at the Royal Lancaster London hotel during the 42nd edition of the Air Cargo News Awards.
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For Jet Fresh, the nomination puts a Ugandan company in competition with established international players and gives Uganda's emerging air cargo sector a prominent place on the global industry stage.
The category also features two companies with recent success at the awards. FlyUs Aviation Group won GSSA of the Year in 2025, while Network Airline Services was highly commended. Both return as finalists this year.
Jet Fresh Cargo CEO Wail Dagash said the nomination reflects the contribution of the company's airline partners, customers, agents, regulators and ground-handling partners.
He specifically credited Flynas Cargo and WCS for entrusting Jet Fresh with the GSSA role in Uganda, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority for its support to the aviation sector, and Menzies Cargo Entebbe for its handling partnership.
"This nomination is not only a recognition of our company and our team; we believe it is also a recognition of Uganda, and the role Uganda continues to play in the growth of the African air cargo industry," Dagash said.
He added that every shipment, partnership and operational challenge had contributed to the company's journey.
Jet Fresh has operated in Uganda since 2023, drawing on more than 15 years of cargo experience accumulated across other markets.
The company specialises in moving temperature-sensitive Ugandan exports, including flowers, chilled meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, to more than 90 destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and North America.
For a country seeking to expand its agricultural exports, reliable air cargo services are critical.
Fresh produce, seafood, flowers and chilled meat are highly time- and temperature-sensitive products. Delays at any stage of the supply chain can affect quality, shelf life and ultimately the value received by exporters.
Jet Fresh's role is therefore positioned at the intersection of aviation and Uganda's export ambitions, connecting producers at the source to buyers in international markets.
One of the company's long-standing customers is Fresh Perch, a Ugandan seafood exporter that ships chilled and frozen fish to markets in the Middle East, Europe and North America.
Sachin Chavan, Director of Operations at Fresh Perch, said the nature of the company's products made specialised cargo handling particularly important.
"Our product is both time and temperature sensitive. That's why we chose Jet Fresh as our partner," Chavan said.
He said Fresh Perch had worked with Jet Fresh for nearly two years without experiencing quality problems.
According to Chavan, fish can move from the processing facility to Entebbe International Airport in about ten minutes before being transported to destinations including Jeddah, Muscat, Dubai and Riyadh.
"They are highly specialised in handling sensitive cargo, and in all our years working together we have had no hiccups and no quality issues," he said.
Chavan also described the international nomination as a significant moment for the company and its partners.
"This nomination is a proud moment, both for us as a partner and for Uganda as a country," he said.
While the awards ceremony will determine the winner, Jet Fresh sees the nomination as an opportunity to draw attention to a less visible but increasingly important part of Uganda's export economy.
Air cargo plays a particularly important role in moving high-value and perishable goods to markets where speed and product condition can determine competitiveness.
Dagash said the nomination should encourage Ugandan producers, packhouses and exporters to think more confidently about international markets.
"Our call to action to Ugandan farmers, packhouses and exporters is to reach out to your buyers in different markets and finalise your contracts in full confidence that Ugandan produce will reach those markets in the condition it should, and compete with the best in the world."
The message comes as Uganda seeks to increase the volume and value of agricultural products reaching international consumers.
For exporters, access to buyers is only one part of the equation. The ability to move products quickly, reliably and under appropriate temperature conditions can determine whether a contract is commercially viable.
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Jet Fresh's growth reflects a broader effort to strengthen Uganda's position within international air cargo networks.
Operating from Entebbe, the company provides cargo sales and service support while connecting Ugandan exporters to a network of international destinations.
Its cargo portfolio includes some of Uganda's most important potential export products, from flowers and fresh produce to fish and meat.
Its digital communication signature, "From Uganda's Soil, Powered by Ugandan Exporters," captures the company's focus on connecting local production with global markets.
The GSSA of the Year nomination now puts that model before a global air cargo audience.
Whether Jet Fresh takes home the award in London on October 21 remains to be decided. But the shortlist itself has already placed a Ugandan air cargo company alongside some of the industry's established international names and given Uganda's exporters another reason to look beyond Entebbe towards the world.
