The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda together with Uganda’s Missions abroad in execution of the cardinal mandate to promote and protect Uganda’s interests abroad is at the forefront of designating Uganda Airlines, the National carrier to various destinations worldwide.
These concerted efforts are being undertaken with the respective Aeronautical Authorities worldwide together in partnership with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry to Works and Transport, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to fast track this designation of Uganda Airlines to Africa and the rest of the world.
These initiatives are in line with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs policy of implementing commercial and economic diplomacy with the primary objective of increasing export earnings, the arrival of tourists and mobilizing the diaspora community for development in order to accelerate economic growth and development through direct Air connectivity between countries worldwide.
Over the years, Uganda has signed 47 Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA). The Ministry and Uganda’s Missions Abroad have been taking a lead role in the following key areas;
1) Shuttle diplomacy to revive and operationalise the respective BASA’s – leading bilateral negotiations to designate Uganda Airlines to the respective routes worldwide.
2) These Bilateral Air Service Agreements provide for reciprocal International Commercial air transport services between Uganda and other countries.
3) Guiding the Airline in the identification of office premises in the various capitals worldwide where the airline is expected to land.
4) Promoting the Airline through Joint Permanent Commissions, Regional and International Summits between Uganda and the respective countries.
So far MOFA has coordinated the designation of the following routes:
- Kenya – Nairobi and Mombasa
- Tanzania – Dar es Salaam, Kilimajaro, Zanzibar
- Burundi – Bujumbura
- DRC – Kinshasa
- Nigeria – Lagos
- Republic of Sudan – Khartoum
- South Sudan – Juba
- South Africa – Juba
- Burundi – Bujumbura
- Somalia – Mogadishu
- Zambia – Lusaka
- Zimbabwe – Harare
- Ghana – Accra
- Nigeria – Lagos, Abuja
- UAE – Dubai
- UK – London
- India – Mimbai
- China – Gouangzhou
So far the following operational routes have been launched: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kinshasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Zanzibar, Johannesburg, Mogadishu, Juba, Bujumbura, Dubai, Mumbai and most recently Lagos.
The planned routes include; Abuja London, Guangzhou, Jeddah, Riyadh, Lusaka, Harare, Khartoum, Accra, Goma, Lumumbashi, Cape Town.
It is estimated that Ugandans spend over 400 million USD annually on air travel. Now that these routes have been opened, a lot of Trade and investment opportunities for Ugandans are abound.
These ongoing interventions to operationalise the respective Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) between Uganda and other countries worldwide continue to be undertaken by the Political & Technical strategic leadership of Ministry under the Permanent Secretary, Uganda’s Ambassadors / Heads of Missions in various countries worldwide as well as the line Departments of the Ministry of the Regional Economic Cooperation (REC) and the International Law & Social Affairs (ILSA).
According to Hon. Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs; ‘’These ongoing interventions to operationalise the respective Bilateral Air Service Agreements between Uganda and other countries worldwide continue to be undertaken by the Political and Technical strategic leadership of Ministry under the Permanent Secretary, Uganda’s Ambassadors / Heads of Missions in various countries worldwide as well as the line Departments of the Ministry of the Regional Economic Cooperation and International Law & Social Affairs’’.