On Uganda Airlines first commercial flight

As news started going out to the now waking up social media jacks of all trades; lambastes, criticism and abuses to everybody and everyone; including the innocent passengers crept into space.

One called us insane for flying the Pearl. Another prophesied that eight is the biggest number that this airline will ever record. Others wondered how and why the airline would fly for only eight million shillings! This reminded me of the story of Coca Cola which is the most recognised object in the world. It is really a tall order to imagine that UR is the next Coca Cola but why would we wish it away on its maiden flight? How was Virgin Atlantic born?

Richard Branson started his Virgin Atlantic after getting stuck in Puerto Rico while trying to get to the British Virgin Islands. His flight was cancelled because they didn’t have enough passengers to warrant the flight. He hired a plane and borrowed a blackboard and as a joke, he wrote Virgin Airlines on the top of the blackboard, $39 one way to BVI. He went out round all the passengers who had been bounced and lined them up on his first plane. What could not warrant one flight was what Branson needed to start his own airline. What could have happened if Branson was like some Ugandans and he had cast his dream into the deepest pit because of social media deriders and satirists?

On arrival at JKIA, some ground and immigration staff were shocked that we were not staff of Uganda Airlines. They could not imagine that we were passengers just like others that were also arriving and transiting. One asked me whether I had really paid for my ticket. I gave him evidence. He was surprised. I knew we were up for something beyond what the eyes can see.

We checked out and spent the rest of the day in Nairobi as we waited for our return trip later in the evening. Yes, there was some visible drama in the evening. The first instance was tossing us to which terminal to access for check in. We managed all these huddles and checked in. Our flight UR205 was scheduled and we could see it on the screens. When we got to boarding Gate 5 at 21:30hrs, nobody seemed to know what to do with us.

The UR staff excitement had already faded into oblivion. One spoke to the other in Luo and punctuated their talk with the usual Kenyan Kiswahili. They could not imagine that any of us knew what they were saying. I surprised them when I responded in Kiswahili.

I got aroused when she said that the plane had flown back with passengers on it. I knew who that plane had come for and we were all eagerly waiting for the return experience. I told her that none of the passengers had gone because we were all just before her.

She rudely said “I don’t work for Uganda Airlines.” I insisted that we were 6 passengers and that we were all still waiting. At about 22:30, we were led by a ground staff through the emergency exit to the van that drove us to the eagerly waiting UR205 vessel. We were I, Alon Mwesigwa, Oliver Nakatudde, Kwezi Tabaaro and two other passengers Fred Byabashaija and Makayi Wakooba who is a flight instructor at Wilson Airport.

The crew members were Capt. Emmanuel Mutebi who was assisted by Capt. Michael Etyang as the FO. The flight purser was Mugabi Daniel and attendants Musoke William and Annette Tinka. In observation were Capt. Fred Kint and FO Ivan Massa. There was also a lady engineer Neka who we were told was passing out the cabin crew. The flight was equally smooth and touched the ground at exactly 23:58hrs.

If only the abettors of impunity and corruption and those who only rant and fight for their clansmen and tribesmen whenever found guilty should stop and value this as a national asset for Uganda and Ugandans, its position in the market is a reality. Uganda Airlines should study Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne’s `Blue Ocean Strategy’.

I am proud to be in the annals of Uganda Airlines as one of their first cash clients. Let’s fly the Crane to the Pearl of Africa!

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Gyagenda Semakula is a PR/Journalist