Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda Airlines will soon begin flights to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), following a new bilateral agreement aimed at expanding African air connectivity.
The development, announced by Minister of Works and Transport Gen Katumba Wamala, signals a strategic push by Uganda to strengthen regional integration through aviation.
The agreement was finalised after two days of high-level talks in Kampala between Ugandan officials and a delegation from CAR led by their Minister of Transport.
Representatives from South Sudan also attended the discussions, which centred on enhancing air links and facilitating cross-border commerce.
“This development underscores our commitment to enhancing air transport links within Africa, fostering trade, and supporting economic growth,” said Gen Katumba, who made the announcement at the close of the Uganda Road Safety Conference held in Munyonyo on May 15.
The conference formed part of the UN Road Safety Week, highlighting efforts to improve safety and innovation across Uganda’s transport sector.
The upcoming Bangui route will add another strategic destination to Uganda Airlines’ expanding network, which already includes Kinshasa, Nairobi, Mombasa, Johannesburg, Abuja, and Mumbai.
The carrier is also gearing up for its much-anticipated inaugural flight to London, expected to open the gateway to European markets and Ugandan diaspora communities.
The launch of flights to the Central African Republic is projected to deepen trade and political cooperation between the two nations, as well as bolster economic ties across Central and East Africa.
With CAR being a landlocked country reliant on regional corridors for trade, the route offers a new avenue for faster and more secure transport of goods and services.
Uganda Airlines, revived in 2019, has positioned itself as a linchpin in the continent’s aviation revival, especially amid renewed calls for intra-African connectivity under frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
These initiatives aim to ease restrictions on African airlines operating across the continent, something Uganda has increasingly embraced through strategic agreements like this one with CAR.
The airline’s expansion into Bangui also aligns with Uganda’s broader foreign policy goal of fostering regional stability and cooperation, particularly in Central Africa, where Uganda has played diplomatic and security roles.
Officials say the new route will encourage tourism, facilitate business travel, and reduce dependence on long, multi-stop flights through non-African hubs.
For Ugandan exporters, it offers quicker access to new markets, especially for fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, and manufactured goods.
While the launch date is yet to be announced, industry insiders expect regular service to begin before the end of 2025.
The flights will not only symbolise closer bilateral ties, but also represent Uganda’s growing aviation confidence in a continent striving for greater unity through mobility.
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