Uganda Airlines has launched scheduled passenger services to Ghana, with plans to increase its flight frequency from four times a week to daily as it seeks to tap growing travel demand between West and East Africa.
The airline’s entry into the Ghanaian market is expected to expand travel options, strengthen regional air connectivity and create more opportunities for passengers to connect through Accra to other destinations.
Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Airlines, Mr Girma Wake, said the airline’s longer-term ambition was to increase its frequency as demand grows, adding that there was sufficient passenger traffic to support greater cooperation among African carriers.
“There are a lot of travellers between East and West. There are a lot of travellers between West and South,” he said at the launch of the airline’s inaugural flight to Ghana.
He said African airlines needed to work together to build stronger networks that allow passengers to connect beyond the countries served directly by individual carriers.
“When we come to Ghana, we are not only trying to bring people to Ghana. We want them to go, connect to Ghana, and go further away,” he said.
Mr Wake said Ghanaian and other West African airlines could help feed passengers into Uganda Airlines’ network, while the Ugandan carrier could provide onward connections for travellers arriving in Accra.
He said stronger cooperation among African carriers could improve the continent’s air connectivity and make travel between African markets more seamless.
Ghana seeks stronger regional connectivity
Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Mrs Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, welcomed the airline’s entry, describing it as a sign of confidence in Ghana’s aviation market and its ambition to become a leading aviation hub in West Africa.
She said the new service would expand travel choices and support cross-border mobility and exchanges between Ghana and Uganda.
Ghana already has air links with East African markets through airlines operating from Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya. Mrs Opare said Uganda Airlines’ entry would add competition and potentially give travellers greater choice, improved connectivity and more competitive fares.
She urged the airline to maintain high standards of safety, security, operational reliability and customer service as it develops its Ghana operations.
Mrs Opare said GACL was continuing to invest in infrastructure, operational efficiency, innovation and service improvements to respond to changing passenger expectations and support Ghana’s aviation ambitions.
The launch comes as African airlines seek to strengthen links between regional markets and improve their ability to carry passengers beyond major continental hubs outside Africa.
For Uganda Airlines, the challenge will be to build sufficient demand to support more frequent services. For Ghana, the additional connection offers another opportunity to strengthen Accra’s role as a gateway for travel between West Africa and other parts of the continent.
