Uganda on Tuesday re-launched its national airline after two decades with an inaugural flight to Nairobi, becoming the latest East African nation seeking to revive their aviation industry.
"The airline will first fly to seven destinations. Starting with Nairobi, Mogadishu, Juba and Dar es Saalam. And then to Mombasa, Kilimanjaro and Bujumbura," said Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda at Entebbe International Airport.
Uganda Airlines is launching into increasingly crowded East African skies, where both Rwanda and Tanzania have in recent years revived their national airlines in a bid to capture a slice of the booming market.
They are taking on regional giants Kenya Airways - which continues to expand despite struggling with years of losses and management woes - and Ethiopian Airlines, which largely dominates the skies.