Uganda Airlines Wet-Leases A320, Expands Fleet Plans
Uganda Airlines (UR, Entebbe) is set to wet-lease another A320-200 from the end of November, this time from DAT (Denmark) (DX, Kolding). The 9.25-year-old aircraft, OY-RUY (msn 6733), is currently undergoing maintenance at Billund and will be operated by DAT’s subsidiary, R6 (Kaunas International). This comes after regulatory challenges earlier this year with a similar A320 ACMI arrangement with Global Aviation Operations (GE, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), which Uganda Airlines had to discontinue.
CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki shared with ch-aviation during the 56th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) annual general assembly in Cairo that the airline’s short-term wet-lease with Global’s A320-200, ZS-GAR (msn 53), ended in October due to Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) regulations limiting wet-leases to six months. As a result, Uganda Airlines began the process of acquiring another wet-lease to serve the winter schedule starting mid-November.
The wet-leases are a temporary solution to Uganda Airlines’ short-term capacity challenges. While the airline navigates regulatory hurdles, it is also working toward longer-term solutions. In June 2025, Uganda Airlines plans to dry-lease two A320neo jets to bridge the capacity gap. These aircraft will play a crucial role in the airline’s fleet expansion, ahead of a planned order for four A320neo aircraft from Airbus, which are expected to be delivered after 2030, pending delivery slots from Airbus.
In addition to the A320 fleet expansion, Uganda Airlines is also diversifying its long-haul strategy with plans to acquire two Boeing 787 widebody aircraft. This decision to switch from Airbus to Boeing widebodies is driven by internal reasons, particularly the need for more engine options, which the A330 fleet has not been able to provide. The purchase of the Boeing 787s, which is contingent on final approval and financing from the Ugandan Ministry of Finance, will complement the airline’s existing fleet, which includes two A330-800Ns and four CRJ900LRs.
The A330 aircraft, however, have been underutilized, failing to meet the minimum monthly flying hours needed for chargeable revenue. Originally intended for long-haul routes, the A330s have instead been deployed on short regional flights, leading to increased cycles but reduced revenue. This underutilization resulted in a shortfall in earnings and arrears in agreed monthly engine fees. However, since October 2023, the A330s have been deployed on long-haul flights to Mumbai, and the upcoming launch of 4x weekly flights to London Gatwick is expected to improve the aircraft’s utilization and revenue generation.
Bamuturaki confirmed that the airline reached an agreement with the UK Civil Aviation Authority to retain its Gatwick slots for the IATA 2025 summer and winter seasons, despite a late start to the IATA 2024 winter season. Uganda Airlines was granted slots for 4x weekly services to Gatwick throughout the Summer 2025 season, as confirmed in the recent slot coordination report. The airline must meet the 80:20 rule, which requires airlines to use at least 80% of their allocated slots at UK airports to retain them for future use.
As Uganda Airlines expands its fleet and international routes, the airline is positioning itself for long-term growth and increased revenue, with a focus on improving fleet utilization and strengthening its presence in key markets.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com