The launch of Uganda Airlines (UR, Entebbe) has been delayed following a dispute between the start-up's interim board and its implementation team.
Citing sources familiar with developments, The East African newspaper said Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni had intervened in a bid to get the multi-million dollar state-backed project back on track.
The report said the delays have been blamed on the interim board — which is made up mostly of civil servants — missing key benchmarks such as the recruitment and training of pilots, and installing key position holders.
Government had planned to complete certification and launch the airline in April but, given lingering disagreements over five key technical posts - among them the chief pilot, director of operations and director of maintenance - that date has now been pushed back to June.
The report said that in light of the absence of these personnel and the corresponding lack of an AOC, the airline has been unable to take delivery of its first aircraft - CRJ900s.
Delivery of the first of the Bombardier Aerospace regional jets was due to have taken place this month. However, that date has now slipped to February 23 with the remaining three CRJs now due in March, July, and September.
Although the airline is currently hamstrung by the lack of a licence, sources told the newspaper that the Ugandan government did firm up a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) for two A330-800s at the end of December.
