Uganda Airlines has signed a landmark $982 million agreement with Boeing for 10 new aircraft, marking the largest fleet investment since the national carrier resumed operations in 2019.
The deal was signed on June 10 at State House Entebbe in the presence of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Interim Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Girma Wake personally signed the agreement alongside Boeing’s Africa sales executive Anbessie Yitbarek.
The order includes four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, four Boeing 737 MAX passenger aircraft, one Boeing 767 converted freighter, and one Boeing 737 Boeing Converted Freighter. The package is valued at approximately 3.7 trillion Ugandan shillings.
The acquisition comes just four months after Girma Wake, the former chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines, was appointed to stabilize Uganda Airlines amid operational challenges. His appointment followed the grounding of the airline’s two Airbus A330-800neo aircraft for unscheduled maintenance in February.
Since taking charge, Girma has overseen the restoration of long-haul services to London and Mumbai through leased aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines and additional Boeing 737-800s acquired under ACMI agreements.
Under the new Boeing deal, Uganda Airlines will significantly expand both passenger and cargo operations. The eight passenger aircraft can carry up to 294 travelers each, while the two freighters are expected to transform the country’s air cargo capacity.
The move is particularly important for Uganda’s export sector, which relies heavily on air transport for coffee, flowers, fish, and manufactured goods. Dedicated cargo aircraft are expected to reduce logistics bottlenecks and improve export competitiveness.
The expansion also signals Uganda Airlines’ ambitions to compete more aggressively in East Africa’s aviation market. The carrier will challenge regional operators including Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and RwandAir as it seeks to establish Entebbe as a major passenger and cargo hub.
Uganda Airlines currently serves 16 destinations across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including London, Dubai, Mumbai, Johannesburg, and Kinshasa. The new fleet is expected to support additional routes, increased flight frequencies, and expanded cargo services across East and Central Africa.
For Girma Wake, the Boeing agreement represents one of the most consequential decisions of his tenure and could reshape Uganda Airlines’ growth trajectory for the next decade.
