Uganda Airlines on Tuesday launched its maiden service to Accra, Ghana, expanding its footprint in West Africa in a move aimed at strengthening trade, tourism and investment links between the two regions.
The new service connects Entebbe International Airport to Kotoka International Airport in Accra four times a week, offering passengers an additional travel option between East and West Africa and opening fresh opportunities for businesses seeking to access markets on either side of the continent.
The flights operate through Lagos, Nigeria, using a Boeing 737-800 wet-leased from Ethiopian Airlines. Although marketed as a direct connection, the service includes a stopover in Lagos before continuing to Accra.
The launch marks Uganda Airlines’ entry into Ghana’s aviation market and builds on its existing services to Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria.
Acting Uganda Airlines chief executive officer Girma Wake said the decision to introduce the Accra route was informed by the commercial potential and longstanding connections between the two countries.
“The two countries have a lot in common. A lot of families have connections. It is a natural place for us to go,” Wake said.
The airline expects the new connection to serve business travellers, tourists, families and passengers connecting to destinations across its wider network.
Beyond passenger travel, the route is intended to support commercial exchanges between Uganda and Ghana, two countries seeking to deepen economic cooperation and expand opportunities for private-sector investment.
Ugandan exporters could use the connection to pursue markets for coffee, tea, fish, fresh produce, processed foods and manufactured products. Ghanaian businesses, meanwhile, could gain easier access to Uganda and the wider East African Community market.
Uganda Airlines has identified opportunities in sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, financial services, information technology, education, hospitality and professional services.
In announcing the route, the airline said: “Air transport is a vital enabler of economic growth and international trade and we are confident that the launch of this route will contribute to shared prosperity for our two nations and the African continent.”
The new connection is also expected to complement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to increase trade among African countries by reducing barriers and facilitating cross-border business.
However, translating improved connectivity into higher export earnings will depend on the availability of competitive products, affordable transport, reliable logistics and sustained demand in both markets.
The Accra service forms part of Uganda Airlines’ wider strategy to develop Entebbe as a connecting hub for passengers travelling between African destinations and long-haul markets in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Wake said the airline had been adjusting its schedules to improve connections between regional and international services.
“We are changing the schedule completely as of October 1, so that all flights come into Entebbe at the same time and distribute traffic within Africa,” he said.
He added that long-haul arrivals would feed passengers into African connections, while regional flights would bring travellers into Entebbe for onward journeys to London, Mumbai and Dubai.
The strategy seeks to increase the number of passengers connecting through Entebbe rather than simply travelling to or from Uganda.
Before the Accra launch, the airline already operated services to Lagos and Abuja, giving it a presence in Nigeria, one of West Africa’s largest economies. The Ghana route adds another important commercial centre to its network.
Uganda Airlines is also scheduled to introduce daily flights between Entebbe and Kigali, Rwanda, on November 18, 2026, as part of its continued regional expansion.
The launch is expected to be followed by a Ghana–Uganda Trade and Business Forum on Wednesday, October 28, at the Accra Marriott Hotel.
The event, organised by Uganda Airlines in partnership with the Uganda Tourism Board, the Uganda High Commission in Ghana and other trade and investment agencies, is expected to bring together government officials, business leaders, investors, exporters and tourism stakeholders.
The forum will focus on using improved air connectivity to facilitate trade, tourism, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.
