The minister for Works and Transport, Gen Katumba Wamala, has commended Emirates Airlines for its 25-year presence in Uganda, which began with its inaugural flight in 2000.
The minister highlighted the airline’s contribution to tourism promotion, aviation safety, and international connectivity.
“The fact that Emirates continues to operate in Uganda is a sign of confidence in our country’s safety and security key pillars of the airline industry,” Wamala said.
Since 2000, Emirates has flown over 2.8 million passengers on 15,900 flights via its global hub in Dubai, connecting Ugandans to the world. Wamala praised Emirates for deploying its newly refurbished Boeing 777 aircraft on the Entebbe route, emphasising that its trust in landing such high-value aircraft at Entebbe airport reflects growing confidence in Uganda’s aviation infrastructure.
“They’ve prioritised passenger comfort in all classes, even in economy. It’s not just about numbers but about offering a quality travel experience,” the minister said.
He applauded the airline’s focus on customer experience and its role in promoting tourism. Over the past two years, Emirates and the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) have collaborated to attract tourists to Uganda.
Their joint efforts have highlighted Uganda’s stunning landscapes, free-roaming wildlife, adventure tourism, and rich cultural heritage across the airline’s global network. Since January 2025, the Dubai–Entebbe route has seen a 16 per cent increase in passenger traffic, with significant travel coming from the US, China, India, the UK, Thailand, and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Rashid Al Ardha, Emirates’ vice president of commercial operations for sub-Saharan Africa, said the airline has come a long way—from routing passengers through Nairobi and Addis Ababa in 2000 to operating direct daily flights to Entebbe today.
“In 25 years, we’ve carried over 2.8 million passengers on this route. We see strong potential for continued growth in Uganda both in passenger traffic and cargo,” he said.
Emirates has established itself as a key cargo and passenger carrier for Uganda, helping to open doors for tourism, trade, and business partnerships around the globe.
The airline recently renewed its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UTB to promote tourism to and from Uganda. As part of the initiative, Emirates has facilitated familiarisation trips for tour operators from the UAE, West Asia, and the Indian Ocean region, helping to showcase Uganda as a top destination.
“Even in markets with their own national airlines, we focus on travellers’ needs and preferences. Dubai acts as a major connection point for passengers worldwide,” Al Ardha noted.
Emirates operates in over 140 destinations across 80 countries, with a fleet of 265 aircraft and an additional 309 aircraft on order. The airline is the largest international carrier in the world and maintains a customer-centric approach through service excellence and network connectivity.
“We aim to hire 17,000 new employees including cabin crew, ground staff, engineers, and operations personnel,” he said, highlighting that over 25 Ugandans currently work as crew members and many more in local Emirates offices.
“This is a great opportunity for Ugandans. We encourage them to apply and become part of our global team.” Emirates is also making strides in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The airline has operated multiple SAF-powered flights using supplies from Amsterdam, Singapore, and the UAE through partnerships with providers such as Neste.
“The global production of SAF remains low, but we’ve committed $200 million to renewable energy projects aimed at reducing emissions in the aviation industry,” he said.
Mohamed Taher, Emirates’ country manager for Uganda said Uganda is not only a key market on our network, but also one of our most loved destinations in Africa. Over the last 25 years, we have built strong and prosperous ties with customers, partners and stakeholders by investing in our operations to provide a best-in-class service.
“As Uganda’s tourism and aviation sectors continue to flourish, we are proud to play a pivotal role in connecting international travellers to the country and helping passengers from Uganda explore more of the world in comfort,” he said. Fred Bamwesigye, director general of UCAA, celebrated the airline’s long-standing relationship with Uganda and the growth of Entebbe airport. “We have worked closely with Emirates as they embraced state-of-the-art technology and a commitment to exceptional passenger service,” he said. In 1991, Entebbe airport handled only 118,527 passengers. In contrast, in 2024, the airport served over 2.3 million passengers, and cargo traffic has increased significantly—from 64,700 metric tonnes to over 67,000 metric tonnes. To accommodate this growth, UCAA has completed the first phase of the Entebbe International Airport upgrade, which includes: renovation of runway 17/35, ongoing work on runway 12/30, including runway lighting, construction of new aprons and taxiways and a newly completed cargo center.