Uganda’s parliament has approved UGX422.26 billion shillings (USD119.1 million) in supplementary funding for the 2025/26 fiscal year for Uganda Airlines (UR, Entebbe) to expand its fleet, according to an official statement released by the authority.

In a parliamentary statement on December 3, politicians said the funding would be used to purchase two B787 passenger aircraft, one Boeing freighter, and two mid-range Airbus aircraft, as well as associated bridge leasing costs.

The supplementary request is reportedly one of the largest sought for the national carrier since its revival in 2019. It was already announced by finance minister Matia Kasaija in July 2025.

The move, however, drew pushback from opposition MPs. Ibrahim Ssemujju urged the parliament to demand a detailed acquisition plan before releasing the funds, citing concerns over a past CRJ900 deal.

"The ministry is requesting more than KES400 billion to purchase new aircraft for Uganda Airlines, yet the country has not recovered from the Bombardier deal, where we purchased aircraft that were already being phased out," he protested. "A thorough due diligence process must be presented."

Leader of the opposition Joel Ssenyonyi questioned why the government was seeking supplementary appropriations for predictable expenditures, arguing that it fell short of regulatory requirements that such spending be "unabsorbable, unavoidable, and unforeseeable". He said the late request reflected "bad planning".

The government maintains that the funding is needed to keep Uganda Airlines’ expansion on track as it targets new long-haul routes and cargo capacity.

Countering criticism

Motivating the funding request before the parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee, Uganda Airlines CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki countered criticism about the airline's performance, blaming abrupt airport closures for operational delays, according to Kampala-based news site ChimpReports.

She said recent delays and cancellations were largely caused by sudden airport closures at Entebbe, Bujumbura (Burundi), Juba (South Sudan), and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). "When you’re given a NOTAM [Notice to Air Missions], you have to change your schedules, and that causes a delay," she said, insisting the disruptions were beyond the airline’s control.

Bamuturaki and transport minister Edward Katumba Wamala argued that the carrier is overstretched and needs new aircraft to stabilise operations and meet rising demand. Katumba said Uganda Airlines handles up to 40% of Entebbe’s traffic with a limited fleet, forcing aircraft to shuttle between routes and causing bottlenecks.

Uganda Airlines previously told ch-aviation that it was finalising a narrowbody order with Airbus for two A320-200Ns and two A321-200Ns with deliveries expected after 2031. The airline spent years choosing a mid-range aircraft to fill the gap between its existing in-house fleet of two 258-seater A330-800Ns and four 76-seater CRJ900LRs, which face capacity and baggage limits on routes to hot-and-high airports like Johannesburg O.R. Tambo.

The airline also previously disclosed that the government had given the nod for the wet-lease of one B737-800(F). In addition, Uganda Airlines has been talking with Boeing about the potential purchase of B787s for flights to China in 2026.

Uganda Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.