Uganda Airlines is facing restrictions on its plans to carry passengers between major African cities after Nigeria and South Africa withheld fifth-freedom traffic rights for several regional routes, raising questions about the implementation of Africa's single aviation market.
The airline's acting chief executive, Girma Wake, said Nigeria had refused permission for the carrier to transport passengers between Accra and Lagos, while South Africa had rejected requests covering Johannesburg–Harare and Johannesburg–Lusaka connections, Africa Briefing reported on November 10.
Ghana has already approved the Accra–Lagos arrangement, but Uganda Airlines still needs Nigerian authorisation to sell tickets for journeys between the two West African cities. The airline launched its combined Entebbe–Lagos–Accra service on October 27, operating four times a week.
Wake attributed the restrictions to Uganda's non-participation in the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), an African Union initiative launched in 2018 to liberalise air transport and expand connectivity between participating countries. He said Nigerian and South African authorities had linked their decisions to Uganda's position outside the framework.
Fifth-freedom rights allow an airline to carry passengers or cargo between two foreign countries as part of a flight that originates or ends in its home country. Such arrangements can help carriers increase revenue by serving additional markets without operating entirely separate routes.
Uganda initially stayed outside SAATM partly to protect its national airline from competition. Wake now argues that the policy is restricting the carrier's own expansion, as other African airlines continue to operate in Uganda while its national carrier faces difficulties accessing some regional markets.
Uganda Airlines is working with government institutions to address the issue and secure broader market access. The carrier is targeting annual revenue of $400 million to $500 million by 2030 and aims to reach financial break-even by 2031.
The Nigerian and South African aviation authorities have not independently confirmed the reasons for withholding the requested rights.
