London Gatwick grows African connectivity with only UK to Uganda service

Airlines

-

London, UK, 19 May 2025

The new Uganda Airlines service is the only direct connection between the UK and Uganda
London Gatwick connects directly to 16 African destinations this summer, while a new Kenya Airways service to Nairobi will begin in July

London Gatwick has expanded its connectivity across Africa with the launch of Uganda Airlines’ new service to Entebbe – the only direct route between the UK and Uganda.

The flag carrier will fly between London Gatwick and Entebbe four times a week, utilising its state-of-the art Airbus A330-800neo, offering convenient connections for both business and leisure travellers.

The new route is a significant milestone in London Gatwick's strategy to develop routes across Africa, following the arrival of Ethiopian Airlines in November 2023, and shows the airport's commitment to expanding its reach into high-growth markets. The flight times will also provide seamless onward connections to 14 destinations throughout sub-Sharan Africa.

The direct link to Entebbe is expected to boost trade, tourism and investment between the UK and Uganda. In 2024, total UK trade with Uganda was valued at £606m, with UK exports to Uganda totalling £483m. With more than 200,000 Ugandans residing in the UK, the new service is poised to meet the growing demand for direct travel options, fostering closer ties between the two nations.

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: "We are delighted to welcome Uganda Airlines to London Gatwick. This new route not only strengthens our position as a key gateway to Africa but also supports our vision of fostering economic growth and connectivity, particularly among new markets across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

“As the airport continues to grow, we are excited about the opportunities this new connection will bring, further supporting the regional economy alongside leisure travellers across the South East.”

Jennifer Bamuturaki, CEO, Uganda Airlines said: “This new London route marks a major milestone in Uganda Airlines’ expansion strategy and reinforces our mission to connect Uganda to the world.

“We are thrilled to offer UK travellers a direct, convenient path to the Pearl of Africa where they can experience unrivalled wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and warm Ugandan hospitality. We invite the world to come and discover the magic of our country.”

NOTES

London Gatwick flights to Africa:

Destination	Airline	Frequency
Long-haul
Accra, Ghana	British Airways	3 x weekly
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Ethiopian Airways	4 x weekly
Mauritius	Air Mauritius, British Airways	8 x weekly
Entebbe, Uganda	Uganda Airlines	4 x weekly
Lagos, Nigeria	Air Peace	7 x weekly
Short-haul
Agadir, Morocco	EasyJet, British Airways, TUI	8 x weekly
Algiers, Algeria	British Airways	7 x weekly
Casablanca, Morocco	Royal Air Maroc	7 x weekly
Hurghada, Egypt	EasyJet, TUI	9 x weekly
Enfidha, Tunisia	EasyJet, TUI	14 x weekly
Marrakech, Morocco	EasyJet, British Airways, TUI, Wizz Air	28 x weekly
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt	EasyJet, British Airways, TUI	9 x weekly
Tangier, Morocco	Air Arabia	6 x weekly
Tunis, Tunisia	Nouvelair, Tunis Air	10 x weekly
Sal, Cape Verde	EasyJet, TUI	5 x weekly
Boa Vista, Cape Verde	TUI	5 x weekly

About London Gatwick

With 43 million annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top ten airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5 billion GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.

The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15 million people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2 billion sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. Vinci Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%. 

About VINCI Aiports

VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.

For more information:

www.vinci-airports.com

@VINCIAirports

https://www.linkedin.com/company/vinci-airports/

About Global Infrastructure Partners

Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, is a leading infrastructure investor that specializes in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. 

GIP has approximately $170 billion in assets under management. GIP believes that its focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with its deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables it to be responsible stewards of investor capital and to create positive economic impact for communities.