Uganda Airline and Air India into into an interline partnership aimed at boosting connectivity within the African region and the India.
Uganda Airline came into partnership with Air India with reasons of fortifying flying connectivity between India and Uganda through several African countries.
The interline agreement is a strategy to connect Uganda to Africa and beyond, the deal brings Uganda Airline customers smooth single ticket travel experience to a number of destinations which possibly strengthens economic and cultural ties between the region.
Jenifer Bamuturaki, the Chief Executive of Uganda Airlines at the launching expressed excitement on the partnership which she termed as being an iconic brand in the global aviation.
And Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India indicated that connecting with Uganda Airline for interline it enhances connectivity between India and Africa.
He noted that “This partnership not only provides our customers with seamless access to Uganda and an extended network across Africa but also warmly welcomes Uganda Airlines passengers to explore Air India’s extensive routes within India and beyond.”
Air India has been undergoing great transformation since 2022 when the airline was privatized to Tata Group. The company has since purchased 570 new aircrafts, and also had a big integration of Vistara and AirAsia India into its operations.
For the Indian carrier, the partnership enhances its presence in Africa, a region where air connectivity has long lagged behind rising trade and investment ties.
“This partnership not only provides our customers with seamless access to Uganda and an extended network across Africa but also warmly welcomes Uganda Airlines passengers to explore Air India’s extensive routes within India and beyond.”
In aviation, an interline agreement is an arrangement between two airlines that allows passengers to book a single ticket covering flights operated by both carriers.
This provides travelers with through check-in of baggage and coordinated flight connections, making journeys smoother compared to booking separate tickets with different airlines.
While it falls short of a full code-share partnership, it is often the first step toward deeper collaboration.
According to the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), India is one of Africa’s top five trading partners, with bilateral trade exceeding $100 billion in 2024, driven by pharmaceuticals, textiles, IT services, and agricultural exports.
Uganda, in particular, counts India among its top sources of imports, ranging from medical supplies to industrial equipment.
For Uganda, which revived its national carrier in 2019 after nearly two decades without a flag carrier, the partnership underscores its ambitions to grow into a regional aviation hub.
Uganda Airlines already operates Airbus A330neos for long-haul routes and Bombardier CRJ900s for regional services, and has been recognized five times as having Africa’s youngest fleet by aviation analytics firm CH-Aviation.
Industry analysts say the deal could boost tourism as well. Uganda is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas, as well as popular safari destinations such as Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls.
India is among the top 10 sources of tourists to Uganda, and with simplified travel connections, those numbers could rise.
The partnership also reflects a wider trend in African aviation, where national carriers are increasingly forging alliances with global players to overcome limited networks and boost competitiveness.
Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and RwandAir have established code-share and interline deals with carriers from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Uganda Airlines’ deal with Air India positions it within this trend, potentially allowing it to capture a share of the growing Africa–Asia passenger and cargo traffic.
With India’s middle class projected to reach 800 million by 2030, air travel demand to Africa for business, education, and leisure is expected to increase.
Uganda Airlines’ success will depend on maintaining reliability, affordability, and expanding beyond interline partnerships into full code-share agreements or membership in a global alliance.
