Uganda Airlines excites South Sudanese

JUBA       UGANDA AIRLINES

The newly inaugurated Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft has excited the people of South Sudan who have pledged to support the Uganda Airlines in its efforts to ease boost air transport in the region.

They expressed optimism that with the inauguration and resumption of the Uganda national carrier, air transport fares would go down and become affordable to more citizens wishing to travel to various parts in the region.

 Capt Charles Karabarinde assisted by Capt. Denis Chothum flew the first Uganda government-owned aircraft from Entebbe to Juba after nearly 18 years.

The aircraft on its maiden flight to Juba, unlike the inaugural flight to Nairobi on Tuesday, all people on board paid their tickets apart from a team of journalists who were taken to witness its arrival in South Sudan.

It took-off from Entebbe International Airport at 10:25 am and touched the ground at Juba International Airport at 11:18 am.

South Sudan journalists and government officials who turned up at the airport witnessed a water salute given to the aircraft, the latest model to land at the facility.

"I have been working here since 2006 and I have been receiving many CRJ models, either CRJ100 or CRJ200 but I had never seen the CRJ900 here. The aircraft is brand new and I had never seen such a model here," said Kur Kuol Ajiek aka Kulo-Kulo, the general manager of Juba International Airport.  He said that he admired the plane.  

Before flying to Juba, the plane had just returned from Nairobi where it made its maiden commercial flight in the morning, a day after it made an inaugural flight to Nairobi, where it received a similar water salute.

According to Kulo-Kulo, South Sudanese were extremely happy with the resumption of the Uganda Airlines, saying many people had been longing for it and many wondered why Uganda took long to acquire its own aircraft.

"When we were told Uganda Airlines was seeking permission to fly here, we just accepted and agreed that it would not even take us an hour to approve it," he said., adding that Uganda was a sister country and living like one country with a long rich history.

Kulo-Kulo also applauded Uganda for hosting thousands of their citizens who have been displaced by the current crisis in their country, saying they were pleased that the government has accorded their people land to live and cultivate crops and treated them as members of the same family.

He assured Uganda that they would do anything within their means, ‘day and night' to help the Uganda Airlines succeed.

 The Uganda airlines, which announced to fly to Juba twice a day currently charges $225 for a return ticket and $201 for one way. Entebbe-Nairobi is $278 return and $257 one way.

Markel Mathiang, the Chief Executive officer of the Civil Aviation Authority appealed to Uganda to lower the prices of air tickets, saying many people were willing to use the aircraft as long as the fares were affordable. 

Juliana Nyanabol Maker one of the South Sudanese at the airport said she was feeling happy that Uganda's aircraft had finally landed in Juba.

She said she trusts Ugandans for being good in business and hopes they would set affordable prices to attract many customers. "I want this to bear fruits because I desire Ugandans to be working here with us, I wish them to benefit from this business because they have also been good to us," she said, adding that she had part of her early and university education in Uganda.

Henry Lokuri, a journalist said he hoped the coming of Uganda Airlines would bring down prices of air travel. "Our people anticipate to travel at less costs," he said, adding that making two routes in a day was big news to the people of South Sudan.

He said many people in South Sudan have a score of businesses across the two countries and introducing the aircraft would ease and make it faster for them to conduct business.

"Several people here have families in Uganda, so with improved travel, they will find it easier to travel to Kampala and back," he said.

The CRJ900, according to Eng. Joseph Lukwago, the director of maintenance of Uganda Airlines, with a 76-sitting capacity is the latest model with a bigger engine. It flies higher than the CRJ100 and CRJ200 series, at 41,000ft above sea level.

The function was attended by Uganda's deputy high commissioner, Anthony Angama, Uganda Airlines country director, Moses Kisembo and several other officials.