Uganda Airlines (UR, Entebbe) has signed a formal commitment with Boeing to acquire 10 new aircraft, marking a major expansion of the national carrier's fleet and a strategic move away from Airbus.
The agreement, signed at a ceremony at State House in Kampala and witnessed by President Yoweri Museveni, includes eight passenger aircraft and two converted freighters: one converted B767 widebody and one B737 BCF, the airline announced in a statement.
Details of the passenger aircraft were not disclosed, but Uganda Airlines CEO Girma Wake confirmed to ch-aviation that they include B787s and B737 MAX aircraft. This was supported by a social media post from the US Department of State's Bureau of African Affairs congratulating Boeing and Uganda Airlines for the commitment to new "B787 Dreamliner and B737 Max aircraft".
Anbessie Yitbarek, Boeing's vice president of sales, committed the aerospace giant to a long-term partnership that will include technical expertise, training, and capacity building to support the airline's growth.
The airline said the move is designed to transform Uganda into a regional aviation hub and significantly increase the carrier's ability to serve regional, continental, and intercontinental markets.
The deal was positioned as a strategic investment aligned with Uganda's Vision 2040 national development plan, intended to facilitate growth in key sectors including trade, tourism, agriculture, and minerals.
In December 2025, Uganda's parliament approved UGX422.26 billion shillings (USD119 million at the time) in supplementary funding for the 2025/26 fiscal year for the purchase of two B787 passenger aircraft, one Boeing freighter and two mid-range Airbus aircraft (A320-200Ns or A321-200Ns), as well as associated bridge leasing costs.
Asked about the pivot away from Airbus, a Uganda Airlines spokesperson told ch-aviation: "Things change."
In January, the airline had reissued a tender for consultancy services to advise on the acquisition of new aircraft.
In February, Wake started his role as CEO and advisor at Uganda Airlines. Wake was a longtime CEO of Ethiopian Airlines (2004 to 2011) and later chairman of RwandAir (2012 to 2017). During his tenure, Ethiopian Airlines invested heavily in the B787 as part of its fleet modernisation.
Uganda Airlines currently operates two A330-800Ns (one stored) and four CRJ900LRs.
According to the spokesperson, the future of the two A330s is undecided. Uganda Airlines' A330neo jets use Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, but under-utilisation of the aircraft on regional routes pending approval of the London Gatwick route in 2025 led to issues with high engine utilisation fees.
The airline has spent years choosing a mid-range aircraft to fill the gap between its 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.
