Seattle saw an unusual airline visitor on Friday, and now we know what the purpose of this flight was.
Continue reading: Uganda Airlines A330-800neo Flies To Seattle Via Iceland
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I go for your third theory! Isn't "Plane Shopping" used to happen mostly at Airshows?
Must be related to Covid and vaccine or medical supply cargo. Given Bill Gates Foundation HQ is there it could be related to them and their humanitarian efforts.
Cool spotting though of this. I would have thought I was losing my mind if I was in the terminal and saw it land.
I just took off from Seattle and saw this as we were taxiing. Was wondering what it would have been doing there.
Guessing Gates foundation. They do tons of mosquitoe disease work in Uganda. If it was shopping, probably would have landed at Boeing field down the street or up in Everett.
Headed to SeaTac in a few hours. Hopefully its still there.
The airline made it very clear their next target will be A220s so no likely shopping with boeing I guess
I think this flight was under government contract to assist with deportation of African deportees.
Hopefully,,, maybe they gat to sign an urgent deal with the Boeing....but still dats quite costly for such a long haul travel. And that issue of using UR2 is also confusing in this case,..but we are ready for surprises.
Maybe they got it wrong and thought it was a Boeing and not an Airbus - going home for a check
I'm guessing Ugandan VP Jessica Alupo (ergo UR2) & family/friends went on a trip? Her wikipedia page says she likes to travel... I notice that the flight departed EBB a couple hours later than originally scheduled, thus arriving KEF at 7am. That's perfect timing to go have breakfast, do some shopping, then leave for Seattle at 11:11am. It doesn't take 4 hours to fuel an A330.
I think someone was ill and needed an urgent private arrangement to sneak into US. But soon we will get it right. They fail to facilitate ugandan hospitals but when they are near death, they pull floating grass while drowning. Work for all people not your own stomachs.
Wouldn’t have been easier to cross the Atlantic going to Brasil… and from there fly north up to Seattle?
The flight was carrying the speaker of the Ugandan Parliament Hon. Jacob Oulanyah, who was travelling to Seattle for Medical treatment. Mystery resolved.
The speaker of the Ugandan parliament was flown to the USA for medical treatment.
https://ugandaradionetwork.net/story/speaker-jacob-oulannyah-flown-to-united-states-for-treatment-
Interesting post - that Uganda Airlines Airbus A330-800 is beautiful with her sleek livery; would be interested to learn the purpose of this flight from Entebbe to Seattle
The Speaker of Uganda's Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, has been sick for sometime with Stage 4 cancer. The president ordered his people to get speaker to get best medical attention available at any cost. That plane ferried the Speaker, medical team and family.
Boeing has jumped into the dealership business.
Trade-in your old A330 for a new 787 off the lot.
Don't worry, we sell overpriced extended warranties and maintenance packages too.
What's more interesting is the KEF stop.
The 338 should have enough range to fly nonstop to SEA unless the payload is very very heavy.
All OMAAT's theory suggest a fairly light payload leaving EBB.
Possibly other operational limitations that requires a stop or KEF does have some significance here.
The Speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanyah has been secretly flown to Seattle, United States of America for specialized treatment | The Observer:
https://observer.ug/news/headlines/72661-speaker-oulanyah-secretly-flown-to-us-for-treatment
The FID to kick off the oil boom was signed in Uganda last week. It saw many top level guests from the oil Industry come to Uganda to witness this. Entebbe Airport was full of private jets, in a way that has never been seen before. It is therefore possible that one or dome of these BIG Shot oil boys and girls Chartered the plane to that destination. The signing of the FID has turned on the tap for 14 billion usd to start flowing into the country in the next 44 months!!!! Me thinks that's got to do with it!!!
This why the plane flew to Seattle.
"Speaker Oulanyah secretly flown to US for treatment. Oulanyah who was last seen in public in December, was flown to Seattle aboard Uganda Airlines via Iceland, flight no. UR2 on Thursday. It was the first time the revived airline was flying to the US https://t.co/VTeBsajMsH https://t.co/OuypPOnJpj"
Highly likely that it's Uganda's Speaker of legislative assembly that was flown there to receive medical treatment. It's rumoured that he had been in the intensive care unit at Uganda's Mulago Hospital, and had to be flown out on Thursday 3rd February for special treatment. Which explains the landing at SEA on Friday. We wish him safe recovery
According to the 'Redpepper', a Uganadan daily newspaper, it had brought the Ugandan Speaker of Parliament to the US for specialized Medical treatment.
Its in uganda a poor 3rd world country with only 2 aircrafts that they hv to send one to lift one official regardless of the expenses.
The plane is in Seattle as it was carrying a very sick Speaker of Parliament of Uganda, Mr. Jacob Oulanyah. He is in the US to get medical treatment. This is the second evacuation of this VIP.
Well..it could be a marketing stunt..and it's working going by the hype. But a V.I.P may be on board.not feeling very OK
May be another dota is due. Going to deliver in Seattle hospital.
This was the ambulance that was avoiding hot weather, and passed via Iceland
Well.. Our Speaker of Parliament was the sole passenger - For treatment - "weird"? right....!? Welcome To Africa/Uganda 🙂 - https://observer.ug/news/headlines/72661-speaker-oulanyah-secretly-flown-to-us-for-treatment
They secretly flew the speaker of parliament for treatment. After presiding over the collapse of the health care system, these crooks are flown out at a cost higher than they medical treatment they are going for.
Finally found the reason guys!!! I was told that the plane was met by medical/Ambulances.
https://www.independent.co.ug/speaker-oulanyah-in-seattle-for-treatment/
The plane delivered the speaker of parliament to Seattle for treatment. A stopover in Iceland could have been for emergency treatment purposes.
It was the speaker of Uganda's parliament on board, for specialized treatment abroad.
Is it possible that Uganda Airlines have arranged a reconfiguration the cargo hold or something down below. That operation may involve altertering the layout of cabling or may require technical assistance of Boeing techies. Just a guess.
Our speaker of parliament is very sick and that's why our government had to use our airline to airlift him to USA for medication.
He is in critical conditions
The Speaker of Uganda Parliament headed for medical treatment in Seattle... Clue
Probably it was just a road-test trip. Of course, one can't say so for a plane; for it flies in the air, rather than stroll on a road surface. So, it was probably just an air-test trip, meanwhile the Veep and or the dictator’s son could have just taken advantage of the same. 🙂
PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT.
The Uganda airlines plane flew the ill Speaker of Parliament of Uganda for treatment
Until USA acts other than just issue statements, these are the kind of guys we need home and receive the best healthcare we have in Uganda.
So, let’s say flight time was roughly 18 hours @ US$35,000 per hour on a dry lease (assuming the government provides the crew etc for ‘free’) …so the lease value component is about $630,000. When you think the GDP of the US is 77 times that of Uganda, this would be like the US spending $48m to send Nancy Pelosi off for medical treatment. Just to put some relativity to it. You’d think a corporate jet like a Gulfstream G650 would be much more cost effective and less international embarrassment for such largesse. It’s hard to feel sorry for these countries that readily seek aid when they act so grossly irresponsibly. There may be mitigating circumstances I don’t have all the facts so this is based on what I’m reading here.
Can some expert estimate for us the cost of this medical evacuation flight on a A330
I have confirmed that the airline flew the speaker of parliament of Uganda who has been bedridden since last year. He needed more medical attention.
@Mark B in Sydney
You're getting it all wrong.
First 18 hours is just one way, so x2 and make it $1,260,000.
You shouldn't bring Nancy into this either, a better relativity is feeding the population.
Per Unicef, $18 can provide essential food for a family of 5 for a week.
That's 70,000 week of food for a family of 5. Or roughly 100 people their entire lifetime.
And in context Jeff Bezos' net worth is $201,000,000,000 and $18 is for a week of food for the family. That's 21 years of essential food for the whole country of Uganda.
Also, there are many aircraft/airline suppliers in the Seattle-Everett area. I've seen Airbus aircraft in Seattle at Boeing field & other area locations many times & thought nothing of it. All came for the suppliers in Washington State. At least that is what was told to me when I asked.
The speaker of parliament is an important person in government and should thus be treated at whatever cost.
I bet a few of Uganda's gay people wish they could have hitched a ride, since the plane was going anyway. The situation for gay people in Uganda makes Russia look like Key West.
The flightplan to and from KEF was filed as an military flightplan with special conditions.
This is just another disgusting thing happening in the so called African "poor" countries! Poor? Yes for its inhabitants. Time wasn't sure an issue! I'm in the business and when I need I have within 2 hours a Jet at my disposition. That's just less than the time it took them to stop at KEF because there must be Jets that can fly that Route Non Stop.
I live in Seattle and know the medical system here pretty well. I'm not sure what treatment was available here that is not available anywhere else. There's a well-respected cancer center (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance) and the University of Washington does many clinical trials. They are also the only medical center in the US that is offering a very promising new type of radiation therapy called Neutron Radiation.
This still doesn't add up to me. Why would you fly over the entire east coast and Midwest with dozens of well reputed hospitals etc to go to Seattle for medical treatment. Not to mention all of the options in Europe?!?
It wasn't UgANDAn nationals on board , it's there to pick tourists to visit UgANDA
The jet that politician was on can fly that route nonstop.
Neither time or money was the issue.
And just to top your brag. I live near a large airport, I have a Jets at my disposal within 1 hour as long as pre-check is open and TSA isn't a trainee. 🙂
Ssebo on who's account nd bill ??? Do u know how much date we are in coz of Such pple who think the country is their big pocket they cn spend as they want ..China is taking our Airport most gov't owned companies hve been sold off nd u know why ? Its coz of these pple eating all the moni as Ugandans are dying ..but dis GOD IS A GOOD GOD .. OOH and ever since he was chosen to be Speaker he's always in hospitals today Kenya tomorrow India but not ever in Uganda hospitals coz they know wats ther no beds no medicines hospitals are in bad state...but u can run to all best hospitals but only GOD has the right to yo living nd if HE has NO u follow the Governor who recently passed on .
Following the footsteps of her old Uganda Airlines big sister M7's corrupt rwandese fake government caused the problems of the old Uganda Airlines which led to its downfall, now history is repeating itself
Seattle has extraordinary specialized treatment facilities, particularly in the area of cancer and related diseases. Important public and private figures have been coming to the city for decades for treatment, so it doesn't surprise me.
Believe me, homosexuality was in Africa before the white man and before Christ.
Not cost effective should have flown sick man to dubai since hey have equally good medical facilities
I think it a huge/irrational expense for a developing country (they could have gotten him to Seattle much cheaper)…but I wish the man well. We should never wish bad for anyone.
Said as a gay man who hates Uganda for its anti LGBTQ laws….
That would be so cool if they started a flight route to Africa and back that would make so much better. I travel to Africa a lot
Ugandan media says the Ugandan parliament paid at least $500,000/= to the airline to charter the plane for a oneway trip
https://observer.ug/news/headlines/72671-parliament-paid-shs-1-7bn-for-speaker-oulanyah-charter-flight-to-us
Most of the corporates in the Uganda's government have been sanctioned by the EU countries and that could have been the reason why they are trying to hide away from the it to try some distant alternative. Aboard the plane they were more than 11 unknown passengers most of whom were some top govt officials. But really knows the truth why they decided to use a bigger and costly plane like this one. There must be some hidden agenda in it.
Can you explain why places like your country Uganda retain Christian belief when it's obvious that it was forced on them by their white oppressors? Never made sense to me
I am a Ugandan and I am here to tell you to mind your business.
Thanks for the concerns though.
Pray for us. Uganda and other African countries are in real problems.
We are spending almost 1million USD to treat one person, but can't improve our health system. If all the top officials got sick, you can imagine the sizeable amount our governments are willing to spend.
Ask for $2,000 USD to provide underground water to vulnerable communities, it can't be done...no money ..but flying these people. In the last week we have spent over $1milliom USD on treating and returning the body of the Governor, then some former minister for integrity with burial costs of $160,000..and all these guys are in bad health so by the end of the year we would have spent close to $52m on these people.
Some animals are more equal than others.
Lol...but this man has been terribly sick from last year, whatever it is,it is in its final stages.
They should have checked first what treatment is require.
I am from kenyan and I am not amused by wanton use of public funds in uganda our neighbours. Like many African nations the have ran down the health facilities and now use the public facilities to fly officials to the other side of the world. Dont they have Accountants to do simple costing? Infact an idle aircraft in a busy airport for two weeks is just too expensive. And by the way they could have airlifted him to Nairobi for treatment or booked a KQ flight to New York.