Victoria Int'l Airline to be Uganda's national carrier
A new national flag carrier appears to be in the works for Uganda. According to news reports, the airline, which will operate by the name of “Victoria International Airline Uganda” is to be established in cooperation with South Africa-based Arch Airways, who will own 75% of the airline while the Ugandan government will retain 25%. The airline targets a start date of February 2006 using a 130-seat aircraft, with flights expected to be “within the region” to cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and West Africa Source: www.africanflyer.com This website has a reputation for being unreliable but it would be great if it happend - great name I think (Victoria Int'l ......). 130 seat aircraft? That rules the much vaunted fluffies out of the question - maybe a B733? Sean

Have never heard of Arch Airways before. Here is another article from newvision.co.ug Uganda has entered into an agreement with South African-based Arch Airways to form an airline company that will become the national flag-carrier, reviving hopes that there will be a new flying crane on the runways. The airline company, Victoria International Airline Uganda, has been registered and is expected to be in the sky by early next year. Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka, the state minister for finance, told journalists yesterday that Uganda would be a 25% shareholder in the national carrier. He said the Government would contribute US$250,000 (about sh500m) for the shares. This was at a press conference at his office in Kampala. Kiwanuka said the airline would start flights in February with a Fokker Friendship plane. The 130-seater passenger plane will initially fly in the region and target destinations such as DRC and West Africa. He said the company was due to acquire a bigger MacDonald Douglas, a 160-seater plane. “This means a lot to us. We have not had a flag-carrier for over 10 years. We are the only country in the region without a flag- carrier. Uganda will be represented on the board of directors of Victoria International Airline,” Kiwanuka said. Semakula said the Civil Aviation Authority had done a due diligence on Arch Airways and certified that they could do business here. He said the ministry of justice, through the attorney general’s office and ministry of works were working to see that the airline takes off. Semakula said Arch Airways would pay the remaining 75% shares worth US$750,000 in Victoria International Airline Uganda. Arch Airways is composed of South African and Swiss businesspersons. The minister said the Uganda shares were discounted from US$500,000 (about sh1b). On Tuesday President Yoweri Museveni met Andy Kunz, chairman of Victoria International Airline, to discuss the potential to do business in Uganda. Semakula attended the meeting at State House, Nakasero. Semakula said Museveni was expected to give a directive to the finance minister Dr. Ezra Suruma to pay for the shares either this year or in the next financial year. The Uganda Airlines Corporation was put up for privatisation under Class 2 of the Public Enterprise and Divestiture Statute in 1998. This meant government would maintain majority shares in the company during privatisation, while an investor would buy a significant portion of its shares. The remaining shares were to be sold to Ugandans through the Uganda Securities Exchange. South African Airways (SAA) in 2001 were selected as winning bidders to buy shares in Uganda Airlines, which was then in an acute financial crisis and had no plane. However, MPs insisted that if Uganda Airlines was to be privatised, for the sake of maintaining national pride and sovereignty, it should maintain the code QU if the SAA took over. SAA, which was facing changes in shareholding at home then, eventually pulled out of the deal, citing frustration. SAA wanted SA Alliance Air to be the buyer of shares in the Uganda Airlines Corporation. SA Alliance was owned 30% by Tanzania, 30% by Uganda and 40% by SA business vehicle Transnet. The minister said Victoria International Airline could not be called Uganda Airlines Corporation because the corporation had not been fully liquidated. So it seems to be true. Cheers, Felix

What happened to East African Airlines? Operating 5X- (Ugandan reg) 732's out of Entebbe to JNB. Last time I saw them at JNB was 8th of May this year. -SA006

what happened to east african and air uganda international - both were supposedly new ugandian airlines?? Navi1

A 130 seat Fokker Friendship??? Thats got to be uncomfortable.... Seems like an MD80 will join the airline later on - the MD80 seems to be getting increasingly popular in Africa. AFAIK EAA stopped flying to JNB and leased out their B732. They are also codesharing with UM on the HRE-EBB-DXB route. Sean

Hi there, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted Victoria International Airline (VIA) a five-year license to operate air services into and out of Entebbe Airport. The airline will have code-share deals with Rwanda Express and Air Tanzania, but will not be Uganda's official national airline. Haven't heard andything about aicraft, so I suppose they use their partner airlines' aircraft. And there are no confirmed routes or schedules at the moment. Cheers, Felix

That will boost competition on the East African skies as well as regional routes such as JNB where the fare is more expensive than european fares

Welcome to the forum Giraffe! Like your name!!! Cheers, Felix

Thanx, i like to see African airline survive and compete with foreign carriers

VIA is just about ready to go. If their website is anything to go by they appear to be a really professional outfit. Their chariman is ex-SA chairman Mike Myburgh (who was replaced by the infamous Coleman Andrews) who was some real airline experience. Fleet consists of 2 B732s (surprise) from SAFAIR, both are ex-SA birds. www.viauganda.com