NTV Kenya: Jambojet to resume Uganda flights after six-year break
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Jambojet to resume Uganda flights after six-year break
Kenyan low-cost carrier Jambojet will resume flights between Nairobi and Entebbe on October 1 after a six-year hiatus, Chief Executive Officer Karanja Ndegwa revealed on Thursday.
The airline will operate a daily service on the route, with one-way fares starting at about $170, slightly below prevailing market prices. It will also introduce cargo and parcel services to support the movement of goods between Uganda and Kenya.
Jambojet’s Nairobi-Entebbe service was disrupted not long after the airline began operations in Uganda, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing it to suspend the route.
The airline later put plans to resume direct flights to Entebbe and Kigali on hold in November 2021, citing stricter Covid-19 containment measures and pandemic-induced weakness in demand across the East African bloc.
“Our return to Uganda is a strategic step forward in our mission to strengthen regional connectivity,” Ndegwa told journalists in Kampala.
“We see significant opportunities to support business, tourism and trade between Kenya and Uganda while providing travellers with affordable, reliable and convenient flying experience that Jambojet is known for,” he added.
The carrier’s return will restore a direct connection between Nairobi and Entebbe as passenger traffic between Kenya and Uganda continues to recover from the pandemic.
Citing industry data suggesting about 300,000 passengers will travel between the two countries in 2026, Jambojet said its daily service would give Ugandan travellers more options for onward travel to Kenya’s coastal destinations, including Mombasa, Diani, Malindi and Lamu.
Jambojet’s return comes as the airline is on a trajectory of expanding its operations.
In April, it increased its active fleet to 11 aircraft and celebrated carrying its 10 millionth passenger. The carrier reported an on-time performance rate of 86.45% in July.
Resumption at an opportune time
The airline, launched in April 2014, operates from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Ukunda and Lamu. It also operates routes from Mombasa to Kisumu and Eldoret and offers cargo services.
Jambojet entered the Ugandan market in 2018 as part of its regional expansion strategy.
Ahead of the October launch, the carrier and the Uganda Association of Travel Agents (TUGATA) held a stakeholder engagement in Kampala on Thursday, bringing together representatives from government, tourism, travel, trade and the corporate sector.
UTB Chairperson, Ms Pearl Hoareau Kakooza welcomed the airline’s return, saying the service would support travel, trade and tourism between the two countries.
“We are delighted to welcome Jambojet back to Uganda. The resumption of this service comes at an opportune time, as we continue to strengthen travel, trade and tourism opportunities across the region,” she said.
Jambojet operates 11 De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 aircraft and says it has carried more than 10 million passengers since its launch, with first-time flyers accounting for about 44% of its customers.
The carrier is registered under the IATA Operational Safety Audit and has been named Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline four times, in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
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Reporting originally appeared via NTV Kenya. Read the full source for additional context.