Uganda and Malawi have taken a significant step in strengthening diplomatic and economic ties after Malawi Airlines announced the launch of a new air service connecting Lilongwe and Entebbe.
The route, starting December 15, will have four flights per week. According to a statement from Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the new route is expected to enhance connectivity, facilitate trade, and better serve both the Ugandan community in Malawi and the Malawian community in Uganda. The announcement follows a meeting on November 20 at Malawi Airlines headquarters in Lilongwe between Uganda’s High Commissioner to Malawi, Ambassador Col (Rtd) Fred Mwesigye, and Malawi Airlines CEO Solomon Bekele Debay. Starting December 15, Malawi Airlines will operate four weekly flights between Lilongwe and Entebbe, easing travel and strengthening business links between the two countries.
‘A select group of 10 to 15 businesspeople in agribusiness, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals will travel on the inaugural flight to Uganda to meet their counterparts and explore new opportunities,’ Col Mwesigye said. Accompanying the ambassador were Ms Doreen Atwiine, the financial attaché at the High Commission; Rev Fr David Nuwagaba, the chairperson of the Ugandan community in Malawi; and Mr Martin Isyagi. The Malawi Airlines delegation included Mr Charles Ng’ambi, the head of commercial; and Ms Only Taulo, the marketing officer. Both sides expressed optimism that the new air link will deepen commercial collaboration, tourism, and investment, highlighting the route as a milestone in enhancing people-to-people interactions and economic exchange between Uganda and Malawi.
In a related development, the Uganda High Commission in Dar es Salaam, in collaboration with the government of Malawi, concluded the second Uganda-Malawi Business Forum and Exhibition at the President Hotel in Umodzi Park, Lilongwe, which ran until November 22. Ambassador Mwesigye, who is also accredited to Malawi, said Uganda remains one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most stable and steadily growing economies. ‘For investors, this offers duty-free, quota-free access to regional markets, reduced tariffs, harmonised standards, and a growing consumer base,’ he said. Ms Sphiwe Msiska, the director of administration at Malawi’s Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism, emphasised that the Forum provided an important opportunity to expand market access within COMESA and the EAC and strengthen ongoing bilateral cooperation.
She also highlighted Malawi’s tourism potential, including Lake Malawi, cultural heritage sites, and national parks, noting that the new flights could support joint tourism packages and encourage collaboration in finance, services, and technical fields. The forum aimed to sustain momentum in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), increasing market access for Ugandan products, and offering businesses a platform to showcase their goods while aligning with Uganda’s NDP IV development goals.