Well this is one of the cooler new long haul routes we’ve seen launched in some time…
Uganda Airlines adds London Gatwick flights as of May 2025
We’ve known for a long time that Uganda Airlines wants to launch flights to London, and that’s now becoming a reality. As of May 18, 2025, Uganda Airlines will offer 4x weekly between Entebbe (EBB) and London Gatwick (LGW).
The flight will operate in each direction on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, though the schedule varies every single day, as follows:
UR110 Entebbe to London departing 9:25AM arriving 4:55PM [Sun]
UR110 Entebbe to London departing 12:05AM arriving 7:35AM [Tue]
UR110 Entebbe to London departing 12:25AM arriving 7:55AM [Wed]
UR110 Entebbe to London departing 3:10AM arriving 10:40AM [Fri]
UR111 London to Entebbe departing 7:05PM arriving 6:35AM (+1 day) [Sun]
UR111 London to Entebbe departing 9:40AM arriving 9:10PM [Tue]
UR111 London to Entebbe departing 9:50AM arriving 9:20PM [Wed]
UR111 London to Entebbe departing 12:40PM arriving 12:10AM (+1 day) [Fri]
The 4,004-mile flight is blocked at 9hr30min in each direction. Uganda Airlines will use its unique Airbus A330-800neo for the service. These planes are configured with 261 seats, including 20 business class seats, 28 premium economy seats, and 213 economy seats. For what it’s worth, the airline otherwise flies these planes primarily to Dubai (DXB) and Mumbai (BOM).
The new flight is already on sale, and fares are quite reasonable. For example, business class from Entebbe to London runs $1,260 one-way, and if you want to connect from elsewhere, that only increases the cost marginally. For example, if you want to originate in Johannesburg, that increases the fare to $1,375.
Here’s how Uganda Airlines CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki describes this new route:
“I’m elated and excited to announce the dates for the long awaited direct flights to London by Uganda Airlines. This route marks the end of our establishment phase, and sets us on a course for long term growth and expansion. It gives me great pleasure that we celebrate our fifth year with this amazing milestone.”
Will Uganda Airlines’ London route succeed?
Uganda Airlines commenced operations in 2019, and is owned by the government of Uganda. It’s a revival of an older airline by the same name, which went out of business, ceasing operations in 2001.
The concept of Uganda Airlines is a familiar story — the government thinks that having a national airline will greatly help the economy, since international air service can drive economic growth. However, the airline is also quite ambitious, perhaps unrealistically so.
While the Dubai and Mumbai routes are arguably largely about transporting people looking to work abroad, I think it’s safe to say the London route is primarily targeted at tourists, given Uganda’s natural beauty and safaris.
Will the airline actually make money on this route? Well, in 2024, Uganda Airlines achieved what it views as a significant milestone… by “only” losing around $65 million in a year. That is a lot of money, especially when you consider the airline has around half a dozen aircraft.
Losses were considerably bigger in years prior. As you can see above, the company’s CEO is framing this as the end of the company’s “establishment phase,” and believes the airline is now entering a phase of long term growth and expansion.
Africa is a tough aviation market, especially when it comes to long haul flying. You have Ethiopian Airlines, which is successful because it’s the one well-run and scaled airline, offering unrivaled access to the continent. But other than that, you don’t have many airlines in the region that make money.
The survival of the London route likely comes down to how long the government is willing to sustain losses for, and to what extent the government believes that an airline contributes to economic growth.
Bottom line
Uganda Airlines is finally launching service to London, as this is a route that has been in the works for years. The airline will fly there 4x weekly using the Airbus A330-800neo. Uganda Airlines is trying to grow, though continues to lose bundles of money. Only time will tell how this plays out…
What do you make of Uganda Airlines launching London flights?
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