Uganda Airlines Opens Entebbe–Accra Route to Unlock West African Cargo

Uganda Airlines has launched four-weekly flights between Entebbe and Accra, opening its 18th destination and a dedicated air-freight corridor that Kampala wants filled with coffee, fresh fish and pharmaceuticals bound for the Ghanaian market.

State Minister for Planning Amos Lugoolobi told the launch ceremony the route should improve Ugandan exporters' access to West Africa by cutting the friction of moving goods and connecting businesses in the two countries. "We must optimise our air cargo capabilities to handle a comprehensive range of high-value Ugandan exports," Lugoolobi said.

What cargo will the route carry?

The minister drew up a wide target list for Ghanaian buyers:

• Agricultural and perishable goods: coffee, tea, sugar, edible oils, fruits, juices and fresh fish
• Manufactured products: soap, detergents, cosmetics, steel and plastics
• Pharmaceuticals and professional services, which he said could benefit from stronger commercial links between the two economies

For Ugandan shippers, the calculus is straightforward. Perishables such as fresh fish and horticultural products lose value with every hour on the ground, and a direct scheduled service replaces longer routings with the scheduling certainty that exporters of high-value perishables need. For forwarders, a four-times-weekly frequency on the roughly 4,000-kilometre Entebbe–Accra lane creates a predictable East-to-West Africa capacity pool where most cargo today moves indirectly.

How does the route fit AfCFTA?

Lugoolobi argued that Uganda and Ghana hold complementary economic capabilities and that air links of this kind are the mechanism for turning trade-policy commitments into commercial volume. The African Continental Free Trade Area lowers formal barriers, but goods still need lift.

"This new route transforms our shared trade policies into practical realities by directly facilitating the rapid movement of goods, labour, and services," the minister said. He urged businesses in both countries to use the connection, and said Uganda is simultaneously courting investment in manufacturing, energy, information and communications technology, healthcare and financial services.

What are the airline's ambitions?

Uganda Airlines CEO Girma Wake framed the service as more than a passenger route, pointing to cargo and tourism as the twin commercial opportunities. "At the same time, opportunities for tourism on both sides is good," Wake said, adding that the carrier sees clear potential for moving cargo from Uganda to Ghana.

He also positioned the Accra service within a broader hub strategy: Entebbe is being built up as a connecting point linking Uganda with the rest of East and Southern Africa, which would give Ghana-bound cargo onward reach across the region.

Board Chairperson Priscilla Serukka said the route creates another gateway for trade, investment and cultural exchange while making travel between the two regions easier.

What regulatory groundwork supports expansion?

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority is backing the airline's international growth through bilateral air services agreements. Deputy Director Olive Birungi Lumonya said the authority would keep working with the carrier to open further markets, and the framework is already substantial: Uganda has concluded 64 bilateral air services agreements with other countries, providing the legal basis for international connectivity.

That treaty network matters commercially, because each additional agreement is a precondition for mounting new routes rather than a mere formality.

The immediate test for the Entebbe–Accra lane will be load factors and cargo uptake in the first months of operation, with the frequency, the 64-agreement framework and AfCFTA's tariff schedule all pointing toward further capacity growth between East and West Africa if demand materialises.