Museveni clears Uganda Airlines to buy 2 Dreamliners, B777 aircraft from Boeing

This move has ignited speculation of a strategic shift away from Airbus, the airline's current primary aircraft supplier.

News of the potential deal emerged from Ugandan news outlet 256 Business News, citing unnamed sources "familiar with the development."

These sources claim that President Yoweri Museveni approved the purchase of two freighter aircraft – a B737-800F and a B777 – alongside two passenger B787 Dreamliners. (See details of each of the aircraft at the bottom of the article).

Neither the Ugandan presidency, Uganda Airlines, nor Boeing have officially confirmed the reported deal.

President Museveni did acknowledge a meeting with a Boeing delegation led by Kuljit Ghata-Aura, president of Boeing's Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa (META) region, on his social media accounts on April 22nd.

Read: Uganda Airlines to commence flights to Abu Dhabi

Maintenance

During the meeting, Museveni expressed Uganda Airlines' plans for fleet expansion, encompassing both cargo and passenger aircraft.

He also mentioned his interest in establishing initial light maintenance capabilities within Uganda and leveraging existing maintenance infrastructure in "brotherly countries" like Ethiopia for heavier maintenance until Uganda's fleet grows sufficiently large for full in-house maintenance. Notably, no mention of a specific aircraft purchase decision was made.

Meanwhile, Airbus, Uganda Airlines' current primary aircraft provider, is understood to be proposing a solution that aligns with the existing Airbus fleet. This approach would capitalize on the airline's existing experience and expertise with Airbus aircraft, potentially streamlining operations and reducing costs.

Uganda Airlines currently operates two Airbus A330-800N widebody jets and leases a single A320-200 from Global Aviation Operations for a six-month period ending in October 2024. Additionally, the airline utilizes four CRJ900LRs for regional routes.

Introducing four Boeing aircraft would diversify Uganda Airlines' fleet to encompass five distinct aircraft types.

 This diversification, while potentially advantageous in some aspects, could also bring about operational complexities and increased costs. Challenges may arise in areas like maintenance, spare parts management, overall fleet efficiency, operational flexibility, and pilot and cabin crew training with such a varied fleet.

It's important to note that Boeing is currently facing production slowdowns for its B737 model due to quality control issues. Deliveries of B787 Dreamliners are also backlogged following a two-year suspension caused by manufacturing defects. Furthermore, Boeing hasn't delivered a single B777 aircraft so far in 2024, as per their first-quarter financial results.

Details of the aircraft that Uganda Airlines are eying

B737-800F

• A narrow-body freighter aircraft, a variant of the popular passenger B737-800.
• It can carry up to 150 tonnes of cargo over a range of up to 3,790 kilometers (2,350 mi), making it suitable for short- to medium-haul cargo routes.

B777

• A wide-body airliner, meaning it has two aisles for passengers to walk through.
• Boeing offers several passenger and cargo variants of the B777, allowing airlines to choose the model that best suits their needs.
• The B777 family has a long range, up to 17,370 kilometers (10,800 mi), making it capable of flying long-haul routes.

B787

• Also a wide-body jet airliner, known for its fuel efficiency due to its composite construction.
• Similar to the B777, Boeing offers several passenger variants of the B787.
• The B787 has a range of up to 15,800 kilometers (9,800 mi), making it suitable for medium- to long-haul routes.