AIR UGANDA today signed a codeshare agreement with RwandAir. The agreement, which is effective immediately, covers the Entebbe – Kigali route and will provide travellers with an increased choice of flights between the two cities. The signing ceremony took place at Kigali International Airport between Mr Cornwell Muleya, the CEO of Air Uganda, and Mr John Mirenge, the CEO of RwandAir.
The two airlines will jointly offer at least three flights daily on the Entebbe – Kigali route and vice versa. The codeshare means that both airlines can sell tickets on either carrier with passengers being free to choose which flight to take at their convenience. The agreement also means that Air Uganda and RwandAir will work together to provide interconnections to other points in their respective networks, as well as to develop business and tourism in both countries. With the two airlines joining hands, customers have more flight options and flexibility for their travel and are not restricted to the flight schedule of one carrier.
“We are happy to sign this agreement with RwandAir, mainly because of the convenience it offers to our customers and the travelling public. With this partnership, we are confident that business and tourism will grow between our respective countries, because of the increased flight options and flexibility for travel,” commented Mr Muleya. Apart from the convenience this partnership is offering the customers, the two airlines aim to manage operational costs for both airlines through shared services. The increased frequencies are also expected to boost performance on the route.
“RwandAir is committed to providing our customers with easy and convenient access to our destinations; this new codeshare relationship with Air Uganda affirms that commitment,” commented Mr Mirenge. The new codeshare agreement is the beginning of a new partnership between the two carriers at a time when the whole of East Africa is uniting once again under the East African Community.
Air Uganda was founded in 2007 and operates scheduled flights from its Entebbe hub throughout East Africa. The destinations served include Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, Juba, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Mombasa, and Nairobi. The airline recently launched direct flights from Entebbe to Mogadishu on 8 July, 2013. Air Uganda operates a homogeneous fleet of 50-seater Bombardier CRJ 200 aircraft.
Air Uganda is the home-based carrier for Uganda and is a member of the Celestair Group, which is owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). AKFED is an international development agency dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and building economically sound enterprises in the developing world. AKFED focuses on building enterprises in parts of the world that lack sufficient foreign direct investment.
AKFED is in turn part of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of development agencies with mandates that include the environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalisation of historic cities.
RwandAir began operations on 1 December, 2002, as the new national carrier under the name Rwandair Express (passenger air transportation as the core activity) for Rwanda with a concession to carry out airport ground handling (ancillary activity) at Kigali International airport, Kanombe. In March, 2009, it registered a new trademark ‘RwandAir’ which is its current operating name.
Operating from its hub Kigali, the airline has a young fleet of two Boeing 737-800NG, two Boeing 737-700NG, and a Bombardier Dash8-200 and has pledged to provide a memorable travel experience to every single passenger on its routes.
RwandAir serves most East African Community capital cities with daily flights and fly to Johannesburg and Dubai three times a week. Recently, it introduced flights to Accra, Ghana. Its current destinations include Nairobi, Lagos, Brazzaville, Entebbe, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Johannesburg, Libreville, Kamembe, and Dubai. It has codeshare agreements with SN Brussels on the Kigali-Brussels sector and Ethiopian Airlines on the Kigali-Addis Ababa sector.
Mr Cornwell Muleya said: “I am delighted to welcome you to this cocktail reception to celebrate the re-launch of direct Air Uganda flights from Entebbe to Kilimanjaro. It was a pleasure for me to take a direct flight from Entebbe to Kilimanjaro today; it was a very convenient, fast and comfortable way to get to this beautiful city and country. Air Uganda operated flights to Kilimanjaro in the past, which were stopped in 2008 and it is therefore a great feeling to be back here offering direct flights again.
“The number of passengers between Entebbe and Kilimanjaro has grown significantly over the past few years with the strengthening of the East African community. Arusha is now home to the headquarters of the EAC and it is only fitting that the “wings of East Africa” come here also. Arusha also remains a big tourist destination with many natural attractions including Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. It is also the gateway to the largest national park in this region, the Serengeti.
“Our flights now offer direct links between these key areas and the not so publicized secrets of Entebbe and the Great lakes Region. I am talking about Lake Victoria and its upper regions of Jinja, the source of the river Nile and its associated hot springs surrounding the ring of fire and the legendary Gorilla trails. We have started these services by offering four weekly flights on Tuesdays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays.
“Air Uganda prides itself in offering its customers, competitive fares, on-time flights and great customer service. We are a young airline, but our reputation for high standards is growing everyday throughout East Africa. We are also an IOSA certified airline with safety, security and operating standards at par with the best in the industry. The courteous, friendly and professional service offered by our staff and partners both on the ground and on board our aircraft is one of the key reasons why Air Uganda is steadily becoming your favourite airline. I would urge you to come and experience for yourself the world re-knowned hospitality of the people of Uganda.
“The direct flights to Kilimanjaro is only the beginning of our planned expansion, aimed at linking more city pairs in East Africa through our hub at Entebbe International Airport in support of trade and tourism. In July this year, we will add direct flights to Mogadishu. Let me take this opportunity to share a few key developments by your favourite airline. Earlier this month we received our third 50-seater CRJ 200 aircraft. This new addition brings much needed commonality to the fleet, making operations easier and seamless. The new aircraft also allows for schedule convenience and flexibility, as well as additional frequencies to key destinations like Juba in South Sudan.
“Air Uganda has also upgraded is website platforms to allow you to find your flights and transact business with us 24/7. By accessing our website on www.air-uganda.com, you can now book online, pay online using credit cards, debit cards and 3D secured cards. This is in addition to the cash payment options which already existed on our links. You will also be pleased to know that our website platform offers on-line check-in and the ability to print your Boarding Passes for those travelling through our hub at Entebbe. These features will be rolled out to all our other stations throughout 2013. The modernization of our operating platforms and e-commerce infrastructure is one of our central objectives in building a world class airline.
“As you are fully aware, our two nations Uganda and Tanzania have had strong ties and share a common history. Our future is also inter-twined as we look forward to the benefits of closer ties within East Africa and the African Union (AU). We believe that our services will go a long way towards promoting and cementing these ties. Let me therefore close by thanking you for the tremendous support you have given us in the past and invite you to partner with us as we develop not only this service to Kilimanjaro and Arusha, but the entire network throughout East Africa,” he said.