Victoria International Airlines took finally off
Hi there, the long-awaited maiden flight of Victoria International Airlines has finally taken place last week's Thursday, with a Boeing 737 departing Entebbe Airport at 7:20am for Nairobi. The aircraft appearently wears a "Uganda, Gifted by Nature" logo. Ticket prices are about half of that of Kenya Airways at the moment. I wish them luck! Cheers, Felix PS: Here is their website http://www.viauganda.com/

Their website (viauganda) says they have suspended flights till further notice, can anyone shed some light on this.

Found Article in Business Report... Avstar to upgrade share in Ugandan airline to 37% January 16, 2007 By Audrey D' Angelo Cape Town - Durban-based aircraft leasing company Avstar intended to increase its stake in Uganda's Victoria International Airlines from 13 percent to an effective 37 percent if shareholders agreed, Avstar director Rory Loader said yesterday. Avstar, which took a 15 percent interest in low-cost local airline 1Time late last year, said the stake in Victoria was worth between $500 000 and $700 000 (R3.6 million and R5 million). Victoria has temporarily suspended operations, including its route between Johannesburg and Kampala's Entebbe airport, only six weeks after its first flight in November, mainly because sales through its website were too slow. Loader, who is now the acting chief executive of Victoria, said the airline hoped to restart operations in three to four months with a better website and booking system, a new network of sales agents and tour operators and more publicity. He said he hoped 1Time, which had designed its own excellent website and booking system, would supply similar ones for Victoria and provide connecting flights for its passengers. Victoria chairman Mike Myburgh, a former SAA chief executive, said the low-cost airline had competed on the Johannesburg to Kampala route with SAA, which was turning away would-be passengers because its capacity did not meet demand. Victoria had also flown from Kampala to Nairobi and to Juba in southern Sudan. The Ugandan government owns 20 percent of Victoria and Myburgh estimated that 62 percent was held by South African shareholders including Avstar. There is also one Swiss shareholder Loader said Uganda's growing economy and stable political system had attracted large South African companies, including SABMiller and MTN. It also had a growing tourism industry and attractive game reserves. "It needs more airline seats for both business and leisure travellers." He said there was potential for Victoria to fly to neighbouring countries and he hoped for codeshare arrangements with other African airlines leading to a larger route network.