{"id":14259,"date":"2025-04-16T15:12:47","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ugandaupdatenews.com\/?p=14259"},"modified":"2025-04-16T15:23:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:23:13","slug":"uganda-airlines-is-facilitating-exports-and-tourism-growth-says-psst-ggoobi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/uganda-airlines-is-facilitating-exports-and-tourism-growth-says-psst-ggoobi\/","title":{"rendered":"Uganda Airlines Is Facilitating Exports And Tourism Growth, Says PSST Ggoobi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The revival of Uganda Airlines was intended to facilitate the growth of Uganda’s tourism sector by creating a direct connection between Uganda and its key tourist source markets, create a faster route for horticulture exports and integrate Uganda better into global value chains, Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury,(PSST) has explained .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ggoobi further stated that the national carrier would also add impetus to the growth of Entebbe International Airport as an alternative hub in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 He said that Uganda\u2019s new  route from Entebbe to London Gatwick, which starts on May 18, 2025, will further improved air mobility and supported traffic growth at Entebbe International Airport, which last year reached the 2.2 million passenger mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c With 14 destinations within Africa and one each to Europe, the Middle East, and India, Uganda has never been better integrated into the regional and global air transport system,\u201d Ggoobi stated amid applause ,adding that Uganda Airlines Uganda Airlines, was a going concern, which is still under the investment phase .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ggoobi was delivering a key note address at the well attended Uganda \u2013 Uk Business forum organised by Uganda Airlines management and held at Sheraton hotel Kampala Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The PSST told the audience which included the British  High Commissioner to Uganda, Ms. Lisa  Chesney, that although Uganda Airlines  is government-owned, the national carrier  was conceived to operate on an independent commercial model to offer the public a competitive air transport product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c I am happy to learn that the airline is making good progress towards closing the revenue gap, and we shall continue to give it all the support it needs in areas like fleet development. Very soon, we hope to add more passenger aircraft as well as a dedicated freighter for cargo, : he stated . adding that with the new London route, the company would increase its  cargo operations – as the main driver, pushing the Ailrines\u2019s revenue contributions from the current 8% to 25% by 2030 .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ggoobi a former academic at Makererere Univerity\u2019s Business School Nakawa, called for further improvements to fiscal management, especially prudent debt management, improved investment efficiency, stronger governance, and a commitment to tackle negative forces such as corruption in order to create a transparent, business-friendly environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReaching the goal of US500 billion economy over the next 15 years will also require us to double the size of the economy every five years. We will also need to sustain annual GDP growth rates above 10 percent and increase per capita income from the current USD 1,039 to USD 7,000,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking figures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ggobi said government was working to  increase merchandise exports  from 13-50 percent of GDP, while exports of medium and high-tech manufactured products will have to increase from 21-50 percent by 2040.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo ensure that we don\u2019t lean heavily on external borrowing, we need to ramp up domestic savings from about 21 percent today to about 40 percent of GDP. The tax-to-GDP ratio will have to rise from the current 13 percent to at least 25 percent while annual FDI flows will have to rise to USD50 billion during the ramp-up years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Investors\u2019 perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was happy to note that Uganda maintains a free foreign exchange rate, inflation is under control ,and growth is already looking up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GDP growth was 6.7% <\/strong> at the end of the FY 2023\/24. The economy has expanded from Shs.183 trillion (USD 48.8 billion) registered in FY 2022\/23 to about Shs.202.13 trillion (USD 53.2 billion) in FY 2023\/24. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA national carrier opens up multiple opportunities. I would, therefore, like to use this opportunity to call upon the local and international business community here today to explore ways of leveraging the opportunities being opened up through Uganda Airlines expansion to support our vision for a Ten-fold increase in the Gross Domestic Product, he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uganda Airlines CEO, Ms. Jenifer Bamuturaki , said that the  London route was of great strategic importance because – UK remains a key source market for Uganda-bound and Africa-bound tourism, a vital destination for Uganda\u2019s perishable exports, and a trusted origin of high-quality brands widely embraced by Ugandan consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur service, operating four times weekly, will provide 1,032 seats and 72 tons of cargo capacity in each direction on the Entebbe\u2013London route. This will be the only direct air service between Uganda and the United Kingdom, taking just nine hours with unmatched comfort aboard our Airbus A330-800neo aircraft,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uganda Airlines  wide-body aircraft offers a three-cabin configuration: 20 seats in Business Class 28 in Premium Economy 210 in Economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Bamuturaki , beyond Uganda, the national carrier\u2019s  growing African network covers East, Central, West, and Southern Africa- serving 14 African cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airlines also operates scheduled flights to India three times a week, and to Dubai in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She  told the  audience that the London route will reduces travel time and cost and introduce greater choice and convenience to the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caring for the Enviornment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bamuturaki said that Uganda Airlines equipment is environmentally compliant because of its new generation configuration, which supports less fuel burn  and the company will  blend its fuel with 2%   Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in compliance with the IATA 2025 Net zero targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The British High Commissioner ,  Ms. Lisa Chensey, said that at present the UK-Uganda trade was worth almost \u00a31m  (over 4 trillion UGX) and was optimistic that with direct flight cargo transport will be streamlined between the two friendly countries .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith direct flights we can connect those on the bustling streets of London, to the impenetrable forests of Bwindi. We can foster stronger ties between our people, and our cultures,\u201d Chensey said adding that Country Director for the UK\u2019s Department  for Business and Trade, Louis, will be taking part in the discussion on a renewed strategy for increasing tourism between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her speech Chensey talked the \u201celephant in the room\u201d \u2013 the tough visa requirements for Ugandans intending to travel to the UK noting it was due to those that abuse the processes and overstay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe reality is those who overstay and don\u2019t come back make it harder for everyone. However, with this direct flight and an increase in the volumes of responsible businesses and tourists going and coming back will help,\u201d she explained .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor: msserwanga@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The revival of Uganda Airlines was intended to facilitate the growth of Uganda’s tourism sector by creating a direct connection<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ggoob.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14085,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/uganda-airlines-announces-new-direct-route-to-london-gatwick-which-will-be-launched-on-may-18th-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":14259,"position":0},"title":"Uganda Airlines Announces New Direct Route To London Gatwick Which Will Be Launched On May 18th, 2025","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"March 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Uganda Airlines will charge USDs 733 for a return ticket the cheapest on the market The Minister of Works and Transport , Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, has announced the launch date for the long-awaited flights to London by the national carrier the Uganda Airlines. According to Gen Katumba, the inaugural\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/air.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/air.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/air.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/air.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/air.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14987,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/entebbe-airport-passenger-traffic-hits-1-1m-mark-in-six-months-ucaa\/","url_meta":{"origin":14259,"position":1},"title":"Entebbe Airport Passenger Traffic Hits 1.1M Mark In Six Months-UCAA","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"July 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"During the first half of 2025, Entebbe International Airport recorded 550,439 international arrivals and 582,927 international departures, hitting 1,133,366 international passengers, according to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority . This marks an increase from 527,692 arrivals and 541,532 departures, totaling 1,069,224 passengers in the same period of January to June\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Aviation"","block_context":{"text":"Aviation","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/aviation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13886,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/passenger-traffic-continues-to-grow-at-entebbe-international-airport\/","url_meta":{"origin":14259,"position":2},"title":"Passenger Traffic Continues To Grow At Entebbe International Airport","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Entebbe International Airport registered 105,320 arriving and 111,420 departing passengers in the month of January 2025, according to figures released by Mr. Vianney Luggya the head of communication at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) . The growth registered a total of 216,740 international passengers, which is an average of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GkUH0gaXcAAz4G0.jpeg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GkUH0gaXcAAz4G0.jpeg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GkUH0gaXcAAz4G0.jpeg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GkUH0gaXcAAz4G0.jpeg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4374,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/government-will-play-a-leading-role-in-ugandas-industrialisation-drive-says-psst-ramathan-ggoobi\/","url_meta":{"origin":14259,"position":3},"title":"GOVERNMENT WILL PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN UGANDA\u2019S INDUSTRIALISATION DRIVE SAYS PSST RAMATHAN GGOOBI","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"October 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Moses Sserwanga The \u00a0Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury ,(PSST), Mr.Ramathan\u00a0Ggoobi has underscored the role of manufacturing as a key ingredient in transforming Uganda\u2019s economy . Ggoobi -a renowned economists who has previously taught the \u201ceconomics that works\u201d said that the state should be involved\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National Development"","block_context":{"text":"National Development","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-development\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG-20211025-WA0120.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG-20211025-WA0120.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG-20211025-WA0120.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG-20211025-WA0120.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14913,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/entebbe-international-airport-traffic-on-steady-increase-as-trade-volumes-grow\/","url_meta":{"origin":14259,"position":4},"title":"Entebbe International Airport Traffic On Steady Increase As Trade volumes Grow","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"July 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Zulfah Namatovu In the month of June 2025, Entebbe International Airport registered a total of 213,217 international passengers that included \u00a0106,583 arrivals and 106,634 departures. This translates to an average of 7,107 arrivals and departures per day, the second highest to be recorded in a single month after the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Civil aviation Authority"","block_context":{"text":"Civil aviation Authority","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/civil-aviation-authority\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ent2.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ent2.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ent2.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ent2.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ent2.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0aOV-3HZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14259"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14272,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14259\/revisions\/14272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}