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Netizens have expressed surprise at media personality Sheilah Gashumba's apparent lack of understanding of how commercial airlines operate, following her criticism of Uganda Airlines in a post shared on X on Thursday, November 21.
Gashumba, who frequently travels abroad, voiced her dissatisfaction with the business class offering of the national carrier on its flight to South Africa.
"Meanwhile this is the business class of@UG_Airlines for flights going to a world top destination South Africa!! Just got ripped off a couple of bucks for the next 4 hours," she posted on X. "Apparently this won’t change anytime soon as the bigger planes are now flying only to Lagos and Lusaka! Shame!! Might as well just pay for economy if u were planning to travel to SA this season."
In response, Peter Odeke, who has experience working with an airline, offered insight into Gashumba's concerns. "Having worked with an Airline b4, I should inform U that the quality of space in different cabins is mainly dependent on aircraft type. A business class seat in a Bombardier (single-aisle plane) should not be compared to the seat in an Airbus (widebody). Oranges and Apples," he commented.
Odeke further elaborated: "If, as a country, we build enough passenger and cargo loads to deploy a widebody plane to SA, you'll enjoy a better seat. Continue to support Ugandan ventures."
Another user on X sought clarity from Odeke, asking: "Thank you for your informed comment. Now, what is the standard of the restrooms?"
He responded: "The standard cleanliness of the restrooms depends on the grooming the passengers had at their homes... Widebody aircraft also have more restrooms than single-aisle planes... need I say more?"
Stuart Amanya also addressed Gashumba, explaining: ".@SheilahGashumba, Airlines don’t manufacture their own planes, so decisions on seat configurations, comfort levels, and plane designs are largely influenced by manufacturers.
"That said, fleet allocation decisions depend on many factors — including route demand, flight duration, and operational efficiency. The newer, larger aircraft may have been assigned to newer routes to better cater to market dynamics or growth opportunities, which doesn’t mean older routes are being ignored. Consistency is crucial, and I’m sure @UG_Airlines is listening, but it’s important to keep in mind that there are industry constraints they have to navigate."
Alex Ponton weighed in: "Business class seats on flights under 5 hours are like that everywhere in the world no? It’s the norm, not the exception, if I am not mistaken..."
Deogracious Mutyaba presented Gashumba with an alternative, saying: "Hi Sheilah, I am an agent of a private jet business. We can get you to any international airport in SA from Entebbe under $65,000. Feel free to reach out."