For Uganda Airlines, the journey to becoming a regional connecting carrier may increasingly depend on passengers who have no intention of visiting Uganda.
The national airline is betting that its new Entebbe-Accra route can draw travellers from West Africa and funnel them through Entebbe to destinations across East and Southern Africa and Asia.
The ambition is to transform the airport from a gateway to Uganda into a connecting point for journeys across continents.
The strategy, however, rests on a difficult commercial question: can the airline persuade passengers to travel through Entebbe when established hubs in Nairobi and Addis Ababa already compete for the same traffic?
The route was launched on Tuesday and will operate four times a week via Lagos on a Boeing 737-800.
Ghana has granted Uganda Airlines fifth-freedom traffic rights, allowing it to carry passengers and cargo between Lagos and Accra. These rights allow the airline to earn revenue within West Africa while connecting the region to its wider network.
The intended payoff is traffic moving beyond Accra and Lagos to destinations including India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania.
Whether that ambition translates into a sustainable business will depend on passenger numbers, fares and the convenience of onward connections.
The Lagos-Accra advantage
The fifth-freedom rights give Uganda Airlines a foothold in a market that does not necessarily involve Uganda as the starting point or final destination.
Passengers travelling between Lagos and Accra can provide an additional source of revenue, potentially improving aircraft utilisation and helping fill seats across the route.
But access to a market does not guarantee success in it. Uganda Airlines must compete on price, frequency and reliability while generating sufficient demand on both the West African sector and the wider Entebbe connection.
The challenge is to make the different legs of the journey commercially complementary. Strong demand between Lagos and Accra would not automatically produce passengers connecting through Entebbe.
Turning Entebbe into a hub
Uganda Airlines’ ambition goes beyond adding Accra to its destination list. It wants Entebbe to bring together passengers from different markets and distribute them across its network.
A traveller leaving Accra could, depending on schedules and available connections, continue through Entebbe to Johannesburg, Harare, Lusaka or Mumbai. Such journeys could expand the airline’s customer base beyond passengers travelling to or from Uganda.
Yet a network on paper is not necessarily a functioning hub. Connecting flights must be timed conveniently, tickets must support practical transfers, and passengers need confidence that baggage and onward journeys will be handled smoothly.
The four-times-weekly service must align with demand and onward departures.
Long layovers, expensive fares or inconvenient schedules could discourage passengers from choosing Entebbe.
Nairobi and Addis Ababa remain established alternatives for travellers connecting across Africa and beyond.
Uganda Airlines must demonstrate that its routing offers a compelling combination of price, journey time and reliability.
Tourism beyond the flight
The new connection could also open another channel for Uganda’s tourism industry to reach West Africa.
Uganda received 1.64 million international visitors in 2025, up 19.7 percent from 2024, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
Tourism earnings reached Shs5.8 trillion ($1.62b), while the sector contributed an estimated 5.9 percent to GDP.
From mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to wildlife safaris, birding and cultural experiences, Uganda has attractions it can package for visitors from Ghana and neighbouring markets.
Uganda Tourism Board chief executive Juliana Kagwa describes the route as a ‘vital commercial bridge’ that could support commerce, tourism and regional integration.
She says it could attract West African visitors while creating opportunities in hospitality, technology, education and financial services.
The opportunity will depend on whether travel agents and tour operators turn the new connection into actual bookings. Coordinated marketing, competitive packages and reliable connections will be essential.
Business travel, cargo and partnerships between companies in the two regions could provide additional demand.
The commercial test
Since beginning operations in 2019, Uganda Airlines has expanded to 17 destinations from Entebbe, and is still expanding, with plans to invest in its fleet.
The Accra route will test whether the airline can convert that expanding network into a dependable stream of connecting passengers.
Passenger volumes, load factors, revenue and the number of travellers transferring through Entebbe will matter more than the number of destinations on the route map.
The airline must understand where its passengers begin and end their journeys and whether connecting traffic returns consistently.
A promotional return fare of $550 was advertised before the launch. Fares vary according to booking time and availability. The longer-term challenge is to remain competitive while covering operating costs.
Cargo could offer another revenue stream, particularly if businesses use the service to move goods between West and East Africa.