Uganda aviation news – ENHAS loses out as CAA approves self handling for Air Uganda come January 2012

SELFHANDLING FOR AIR UGANDA
Beginning from January 2012 will Ugandas quasi national airline Air Uganda, otherwise known as U7, begin to handle their own flights, after a long battle with the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority, leaving near monopolist ENHAS short of what is thought to be revenues of just under a million US Dollars.
Air Uganda had for quite some time, under immediate past CEO Hugh Fraser, presented the CAA with data from in particular Nairobi, an airport the UCAA is intent to copy in terms of traffic, showing considerably lower handling tariffs, at times costing only half of what the airline was being charged for a similar set of services in Entebbe.
The savings will help U7 to progressively offset the initial losses incurred at start up four years ago, while at the same time offering additional employment opportunities to Ugandans who are now being trained to provide ground handling services and meet the expected standards.
Air Uganda presently operates a fleet of two leased CRJ 200 jets and of an additional MD 87, and had a few weeks ago announced an expansion in services to Bujumbura, daily flights to Dar es Salaam and the start of moving towards double daily services between Entebbe and Juba / South Sudan. Their present third daily mid day flight to Nairobi, currently only operating on a few days, is also due to be progressively increased until the airline flies 21 times a week between Uganda and Kenya. Happy Landings and Happy Handlings.