Uganda Airlines Expands Operations to Nigeria, Fostering Trade and Development

Uganda Airlines has made a major expansion of its flight operations, with a new route to Nigeria. Flights will run three times a week, departing on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and will be serviced by the airline’s modern 258-seat Airbus A330-800neo aircraft.

The inaugural flight to Lagos signifies a crucial milestone in the airline’s journey to connect people and businesses across borders.

This strategic move aligns with the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) efforts to boost trade, forge partnerships, facilitate knowledge transfer, and promote tourism, trade, and investment for sustainable development. The UNDP’s goal is to place trade at the core of Uganda and Africa’s development trajectory.

To that end, they are spearheading initiatives that enhance intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while creating a supportive environment for women, youth, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in business.

Trade has long been recognized as a key driver of job creation and poverty reduction by unlocking market opportunities, capital, and financing essential for expanding economic growth prospects. This new flight route signifies not only the physical connection between Uganda and Nigeria but also the symbolic link between two nations committed to fostering economic growth through trade.

Notably, Uganda Airlines’ direct flights to Lagos will not only cater to business travelers but also offer convenience to tourists and other passengers.

The introduction of this route has been met with jubilation by a group of 40 women entrepreneurs in the trade and tourism sectors who have received support from UNDP Uganda. They have been among the first to travel on Uganda Airlines’ inaugural flight to Lagos.

Furthermore, this development is expected to yield significant time savings for passengers whose journeys either terminate in Uganda or connect to other destinations within the airline’s network, including Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, and Mombasa. Lagos now becomes the airline’s 13th destination, closely following the recent launch of the Mumbai route on October 7th.