Uganda’s Bombardier CRJ-900 carried mostly government and airline officials. Among them were three cabinet officials led by the minister for Works and Transport Monica Ntege Azuba, Uganda Airlines and Uganda Civil Aviation officials, tour operators, celebrities and journalists.
Flight UR202 took off from Kampala international airport destined for Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where it was welcomed by a water cannon salute upon landing.
Ugandan High Commissioner Phibby Awere Otaala and Jonny Andersen the managing director and chief executive officer of Kenya Airports Authority were at hand to welcome the passengers and thanked the airline officials for the revival of the airlines.
The crew had four hostesses and two pilots. The airline will first fly to 7 destinations starting with Nairobi, Juba, Mogadishu & Dar es Salaam before expanding to Europe and other destinations.
A return journey from JKIA costs up to $ 440 (about Shs 1.62 million), according to the recently advertised rates. The airline spent Sh120 million ($32,559) for the ‘promotional flight’ to ferry all the passengers on board the maiden flight according to Jennifer Bamutulaki Musiime, the marketing and commercial director of Uganda Airlines, observer reported.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni championed the revamped airline under a broader programme to privatise troubled state firms and open up the economy, as a symbol of national pride, calling it “a new baby” in June.
