Uganda Airlines projects 15pc traffic boost on London-Gatwick route as KQ angles for same destination

March 21, 2025 in Business, Companies, Transport, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Uganda Airlines Gatwick launch will come just six weeks before competitor Kenya Airways starts a tri-weekly service to the same destination

Flag carrier Uganda Airlines expects to boost Entebbe-London traffic by 15pc, within one year of launching its flights on the route. The carrier announced May 18, as the start date for the long-waited flights to London Gatwick, during a breakfast even in Kampala on March 20.

Giving an overview of the route which will operate four times a week, Chief Commercial Officer Adedayo Olawuyi, revealed that OD traffic (Origin and Destination or the number of people who start their journey in Entebbe and end it in London), between Entebbe and London was just over 90,000 passengers a year or about 247 passengers a day in 2023. That number excludes passengers from Uganda, who travelled to other destinations in the United Kingdom.

“It is a rule of thumb that a new route stimulates the market by anywhere between 10-15pc in the market it serves. We expect that the advantage of having a direct route from Entebbe will generate about 15 percent more passengers on this route within the first year,” Olawuyi told 256BN.

Departures for the outbound UR110 to London will be on Sundays at 09.25 local, Tuesdays at 5minutes past midnight, Wednesdays at 25 minutes past midnight and Fridays at 3.10am.  The corresponding return journeys on UR111 will be at 19.05 on Sundays, 9.40am on Tuesdays, 9.50am on Wednesdays and 12.40pm on Fridays.

Olawuyi explained that the staggered timetable reflected the slot constraints at London Gatwick, but more harmonised and permanent schedule will have been hammered out by the Winter season.

The impending launch of the service, after a 10-year hiatus during which passengers between Uganda and the UK had to use indirect routes, has generated considerable excitement.

“The Entebbe-London Gatwick route is a strategic development that will advance Uganda’s economic interests, boost tourism, enhance national prestige, and strengthen international relations,” Gen. Edward Katumba-Wamala said in remarks just before he announced the start date for the service.

He added that the route also partially fulfils President Museveni’s vision for the revival of Uganda Airlines as an economic catalyst that would create essential air bridges that reduce the time and cost of travel between Uganda and its strategic business and tourism markets.

“This route, which will connect Entebbe International Airport to London Gatwick starting May 18^th, 2025, partially fulfils that vision. And as you might be aware, where there is no competition, prices tend to soar. We are, therefore, happy that Uganda Airlines is coming in to moderate the market as it has done on other routes.

Ms Lisa Chesney MBE, the British High Commissioner to Uganda, echoed Gen. Katumba, describing the return of direct flights to London as a strategic “air bridge for the two vibrant economies that will serve to reduce the cost and time of travel between Uganda and United Kingdom (UK).”

The route should add momentum to Uganda-UK trade and tourism sector, she added, revealing that bilateral trade between the countries was valued at over £252 million in 2021.

“This route is important because it connects Uganda to critical business and tourism markets in Western Europe and beyond. Besides shortening travel times between the two points, it also provides a more efficient route for exporters of perishables from Uganda to the United Kingdom,” said Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Officer Ms Jenifer Bamuturaki.

Quoting the Grant Thornton Wings of Opportunity report (2024), Bamuturaki further revealed that Uganda’s exports to the United Kingdom last year, were worth USD22.6m.

Additionally, the 16 tons per trip cargo capacity that will be available on A330-800neo on the route, as well as near-term plans to enhance cargo operations with a dedicated freighter, are expected to support the rapid growth of Ugandan exports to the UK.

“This route elevates Uganda Airlines’ international profile and strategically positions us to tap deeper into the global aviation market. The route’s success will boost our revenues and support further expansion and operational sustainability, Bamuturaki added.

“Flying four times a week to London will allow us to optimise our network and increase the offerings to our guests, in combination with other routes.”

Uganda Airlines, now the biggest operator out of its Entebbe base with 77 departures a week, has laid the ground work for the London route, with over 14 destinations to connect into it in its African network.  the past two years, we have expanded our African network and now fly to 14 cities in Africa.  London will take weekly departures  to 81.

“This primary network creates opportunities for feeding into and de-feeding our long-haul flights. Once London is up and running, we intend to open a few more destinations within Africa for the same purpose,” said Bamuturaki.

While Uganda Airlines initially acquired slots into the UK in early 2020, plans to mount flights that year, were scuttled by the onset of a global disruption of air travel, as countries responded to the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. This, Bamuturaki explains, introduced complications to the process, which were compounded further by the supply chain and manpower constraints that followed as the global economy reopened, two years later.

Uganda Airlines return to Gatwick, a route last operated by its predecessor in the 1990s, comes just ahead of Kenya Airways launch of flights to the same destination. The Kenyan flag carrier, which already operates daily to London Heathrow, will start a tri-weekly service to Gatwick, starting July 2, 2025, taking its weekly tally into the UK market to 10 flights. But while Uganda Airlines baseline fares will start at USD 733,  Kenya Airways will start with an entry fare of USD 918. Kenya Airways will fly to Gatwick on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays with night departures on all days.

KQ’s Gatwick service is a reflection of slot constraints at Heathrow, the fourth busiest airport in the word. Airlines seeking growth in the UK market have no choice but to either snap up whatever available opportunities are available at Gatwick, or if the traffic justifies it secondary destinations in the UK such as Manchester.

That is the course Ethiopian opted for when it launched a tri-weekly service to Gatwick in August 2023. The service complemented ET’s daily flights to Heathrow and the 5 times a week service to Manchester.

With a current capacity of 75 million passengers a year, Heathrow is seeking approvals for a third runway. If approved, it will increase passenger capacity to 140 million per annum, while aircraft movements will increase from the current cap of 480,000 a year to 720,000.