Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda Airlines has entered a landmark interline partnership with Air India, a move expected to significantly expand travel options between Africa and the Indian subcontinent while positioning Uganda as a stronger hub for regional and intercontinental travel.
The agreement, effective since August 25, 2025, allows passengers to travel on a single ticket from Entebbe International Airport to more than 25 Indian cities and international hubs via Air India’s gateway in Mumbai.
Destinations include major Indian commercial and cultural centres such as Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Kochi, as well as regional hubs like London Heathrow, Singapore, Colombo, and Dhaka.
Conversely, travelers from India and Asia will gain easier access to Uganda and onward flights to South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia through Uganda Airlines’ expanding African network.
“We are excited to launch this partnership with Air India, an iconic brand in global aviation,” said Jenifer Bamuturaki, chief executive of Uganda Airlines.
“This interline agreement is a significant step in our strategy to connect Uganda to Africa and beyond. It provides our customers with a smooth, single-ticket travel experience to dozens of new destinations, strengthening economic and cultural ties between our regions.”
Air India, which returned to private ownership under Tata Sons in 2022, has been undergoing a major transformation, including a record-breaking order of 570 new aircraft and the integration of Vistara and AirAsia India into its operations.
For the Indian carrier, the partnership enhances its presence in Africa, a region where air connectivity has long lagged behind rising trade and investment ties.
“We are happy to partner with Uganda Airlines, enhancing connectivity between India and Africa,” said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India.
“This partnership not only provides our customers with seamless access to Uganda and an extended network across Africa but also warmly welcomes Uganda Airlines passengers to explore Air India’s extensive routes within India and beyond.”
In aviation, an interline agreement is an arrangement between two airlines that allows passengers to book a single ticket covering flights operated by both carriers.
This provides travellers with through check-in of baggage and coordinated flight connections, making journeys smoother compared to booking separate tickets with different airlines.
While it falls short of a full code-share partnership, it is often the first step toward deeper collaboration.
The deal comes at a time when trade between Africa and India is expanding.
According to the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), India is one of Africa’s top five trading partners, with bilateral trade exceeding $100 billion in 2024, driven by pharmaceuticals, textiles, IT services, and agricultural exports.
Uganda, in particular, counts India among its top sources of imports, ranging from medical supplies to industrial equipment.
For Uganda, which revived its national carrier in 2019 after nearly two decades without a flag carrier, the partnership underscores its ambitions to grow into a regional aviation hub.
Uganda Airlines already operates Airbus A330neos for long-haul routes and Bombardier CRJ900s for regional services, and has been recognised five times as having Africa’s youngest fleet by aviation analytics firm CH-Aviation.
Industry analysts say the deal could boost tourism as well. Uganda is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas, as well as popular safari destinations such as Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls.
India is among the top 10 sources of tourists to Uganda, and with simplified travel connections, those numbers could rise.
The partnership also reflects a wider trend in African aviation, where national carriers are increasingly forging alliances with global players to overcome limited networks and boost competitiveness.
Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and RwandAir have established code-share and interline deals with carriers from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Uganda Airlines’ deal with Air India positions it within this trend, potentially allowing it to capture a share of the growing Africa–Asia passenger and cargo traffic.
With India’s middle class projected to reach 800 million by 2030, air travel demand to Africa for business, education, and leisure is expected to increase.
However, the airline faces challenges, including intense competition from regional giants and global carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines, which already dominate Africa–India routes.
Uganda Airlines’ success will depend on maintaining reliability, affordability, and expanding beyond interline partnerships into full code-share agreements or membership in a global alliance.
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