Italy's Meridiana is planning to launch a new Ugandan carrier in November with international development agency the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED).
Air Uganda will be based in Entebbe and will initially operate two daily flights to Nairobi in Kenya four weekly flights to Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and three weekly flights to Juba in Sudan. The carrier will start with one McDonnell Douglas DC-9, add a Boeing MD-87 in March and take a second MD-87 in May.
Air Uganda will be AKFED's third African carrier. It already owns 76% of Air Burkina and 51% of Compagnie Aerienne du Mali (CAM). AKFED is also now trying to acquire a stake in Air Ivoire and is bidding with Meridiana, which is 80% controlled by companies belonging to AKFED chairman Aga Khan, for a 40% stake in Rwandair Express.
AFKED recently acquired seven ex-Iberia MD-87s to support its African projects. The first MD-87 was placed into service by Ouagadougou-based Air Burkina in September and two MD-87s will be deployed with CAM and used to dramatically expand its regional operations. CAM will launch four flights per week to Dakar, three to Conakry, two to Abidjan, three to Ouagadougou, two to Lome and two to Cotonou. It is also planning to offer twice-weekly flights to Brazzaville in Congo and Libreville in Gabon via Cotonou in Benin.
AKFED says it also wants to become involved in airport management, including taking stakes in airports and pursuing airport management contracts. Meridiana vice-president business development for AKFED Rene Decurey says: "We would like to get involved where it is crucial to managing quality. We would like to build a strong network, a strong position in airports. There are options we would like, but you need the other side as well. They need to be willing to open up and it is not easy at these airports."
Meanwhile, Brussels Airlines has teamed up with Congo's Hewa Bora Airways to establish a new Congolese carrier. No firm date has been given for the launch of the carrier and its name will also be revealed later. The carrier is planning a network of 10 domestic and international destinations from Kinshasa's main N'Djili airport.
Hewa Bora Airways is already one of the largest carriers in Congo but it will axe its scheduled passenger flights once the new airline begins operations. Brussels Airlines is now participating in several African initiatives, including a project to create a new pan-west African carrier. It is also bidding against Meridiana for a 40% stake in Rwandair Express.
Source: Airline Business
