The national carrier ,Uganda Airlines, has leased an A320 mid-range aircraft to enhance its operational efficiency as some of its aircraft proceed on scheduled maintenance, CEO ,Jenifer Bamuturaki , announced in Kampala.
The A320-231 acquired on a wet leased from South Africa’s Global Airways arrived in Entebbe today afternoon. A wet lease is a leasing arrangement where an organization in this case Uganda Airlines ,acquires an entire aircraft with its crew for a short period of time. The lessor is normally responsible for maintenance, insurance and operator certificate of its leased aircraft .
Wet lease is often used for short-term purposes such as peak traffic season or on new routes.
The A320 mid-range aircraft will supplement Uganda Airlines’ CRJ and A330 fleet to maintain schedule integrity during the period when part of its regional fleet undergoes scheduled maintenance.
The lease will also help to resolve operational challenges on routes like Johannesburg and Kinshasa, where the airline has been unable to operate efficiently due to capacity limitations and augment operations on services to Nairobi and Lagos.
Although Ugandans are proud of Uganda Airlines, generally good management, smooth flights with excellent cabin experience ,some of the clientele have expressed frustration at delayed and sometimes over booked flights . It’s yet to be established whether the additional leased aircraft will help mitigate some of these operational challenges.
“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Global Airways, which will support our operations at a critical juncture in our development,” Uganda Airlines chief executive Jenifer Bamuturaki said in a statement released soon after the aircraft touched down in Entebbe.
“We have seen significant growth in demand on a number of our routes, which has introduced certain pressures into our operations. Leasing this A320 is intended to ensure that our customers continue to enjoy the unparalleled service that we have become known for, and add flexibility to our operations,”Ms Bamuturaki added.
Bamuturaki further said the larger aircraft not only offers increased capacity for passengers and their baggage over the CRJ-900 but also cargo capacity. “We therefore, invite the travelling public and the business community to take advantage of the increased capacity.”
According to Uganda Airlines, the aircraft is configured to 160-seats, spread across a two-class cabin featuring 12 business class and 138 economy seats.
