Uganda takes flight to South America with new Argentina BASA

November 12, 2025 in Business, Trade & Industry, Transport, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Uganda has opened a new chapter in its aviation diplomacy after signing a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with Argentina — its first such pact with a South American nation — in a move that signals a bold step toward bridging Africa’s skies with Latin America’s.

The deal, initialed during the ongoing ICAO Air Services Negotiation event (ICAN2025) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, marks a significant milestone for Uganda’s foreign air transport strategy. It also underscores Kampala’s determination to expand its aviation footprint beyond traditional markets in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Led by Olive Birungi Lumonya, Deputy Director General of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Uganda’s delegation sealed both the new Argentina BASA and a reviewed agreement with Qatar — an indication of the country’s dual focus on diversifying partnerships while consolidating existing ones.

“This agreement with Argentina is more than a diplomatic gesture,” Lumonya said in comments after the signing. “It’s a practical foundation for future air links between East Africa and South America — regions that share enormous untapped potential in trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.”

For Uganda, the Argentina pact is part of a broader aviation vision to position Entebbe International Airport as a connector between Africa and under-served global markets. While South America remains one of the least-connected continents to Africa, growing economic complementarities — from agricultural exports to pharmaceuticals and tourism — are driving new interest in direct or shared air links.

Industry analysts note that such agreements can catalyse commercial routes in the medium term. For Uganda Airlines, which is still consolidating its intercontinental network, the BASA opens possibilities for future code-shares or partnerships with Latin carriers such as Aerolineas Argentinas or LATAM Airlines, potentially connecting East Africa to South America via Johannesburg or Luanda.

“Argentina’s engagement represents the beginning of a wider realignment in global air diplomacy,” said an aviation analyst familiar with Uganda’s negotiations. “As African carriers expand and economies diversify, bilateral air agreements are becoming tools of economic statecraft — shaping trade corridors rather than just opening flight paths.”

The ICAN platform, convened annually by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has become a crucial arena for African nations like Uganda to negotiate access and reciprocity in air traffic rights. This year’s event in Punta Cana runs from November 10–14, 2025, bringing together aviation regulators and national carriers from over 100 countries.

According to Lumonya, Uganda’s participation reflects a deliberate shift toward a proactive, network-based engagement with global partners: “We are not waiting for connectivity to come to us — we are building it. Each agreement expands Uganda’s reach and strengthens our position as an emerging hub in East Africa’s aviation map.”

The simultaneous renewal of the Uganda–Qatar BASA also reinforces Uganda’s alignment with major Gulf aviation players, ensuring seamless connectivity for passenger and cargo flows linking Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

With the ink now drying on the Argentina agreement, Uganda joins a small but growing list of African nations seeking to link the two continents by air. While actual flights may take time to materialise, the diplomatic groundwork is now firmly laid.

For the Civil Aviation Authority, it is part of a coherent long-term agenda to transform Uganda from a landlocked nation into an air-linked economy, where connectivity drives commerce, innovation, and growth.

“This milestone is a vote of confidence in Uganda’s aviation vision,” Lumonya said. “We are connecting continents, creating opportunity, and writing a new chapter for Africa’s place in global aviation.”