Uganda Airlines and Air India ink interline deal to link Africa and India
Uganda Airlines, revived in 2019 after a 16‑year hiatus, has steadily expanded its fleet with Boeing 737‑800s and recently added an Airbus A330‑800neo for long‑haul routes.
Uganda’s flag carrier and India’s flagship airline announced a new interline partnership that will give travelers a single‑ticket, seamless journey between the Pearl of Africa and more than 25 Indian cities, as well as key global hubs such as London, Bangkok and Singapore.
The agreement, which took effect on 25 August, marks the first formal connectivity link between the two carriers and is poised to boost tourism, trade and investment across the continent and the sub‑continent.
A direct route to India’s heartland
Under the deal, passengers departing Entebbe International Airport (EBB) on Uganda Airlines can connect in Mumbai (BOM) to Air India flights bound for major Indian metros – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and a host of secondary destinations including Amritsar, Jaipur, Kochi and Visakhapatnam.
The partnership also opens Air India’s extensive network of third‑party hubs, letting Ugandan travelers reach Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, London Heathrow and Singapore without changing tickets.
Conversely, Air India’s customer base can now fly from any of its Indian gateways to Mumbai or Dubai, then transfer to Uganda Airlines for onward service to Entebbe and onward connections to South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and other African markets.
“A strategic step for Uganda’s global footprint”
“We are excited to launch this partnership with Air India, an iconic brand in global aviation,” said Jenifer Bamuturaki, Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Airlines.
“The 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.”
Indian perspective
Air India’s Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, echoed the sentiment: “We are happy to partner with Uganda Airlines, enhancing connectivity between India and Africa. 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, fostering stronger economic and cultural ties between our regions.”
Uganda Airlines, revived in 2019 after a 16‑year hiatus, has steadily expanded its fleet with Boeing 737‑800s and recently added an Airbus A330‑800neo for long‑haul routes. The carrier now serves Nairobi, Kigali, Dar‑es‑Salaam, Lagos and Johannesburg, positioning itself as a regional hub.
Air India, meanwhile, is consolidating its resurgence after the 2022 merger with Tata Group’s airline assets. The carrier’s network now spans six continents, and its low‑cost subsidiary, Air India Express, complements the full‑service product with budget options to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Both airlines view the partnership as a stepping stone toward deeper collaboration, potentially evolving into a code‑share or joint venture in the future. “Our long‑term vision is to create a true Africa‑India air bridge, enabling seamless trade corridors and people‑to‑people exchange,” Bamuturaki said.
As the world’s economies continue to pivot toward emerging markets, the Uganda‑India link may become a blueprint for other African carriers seeking to tap into the Indian diaspora and growing middle class.
The partnership is expected to generate an estimated US$45 million in incremental revenue for Uganda Airlines over the next three years, according to internal forecasts.
