The Uganda Airlines made their maiden direct flight from Entebbe International Airport to Mecca transporting pilgrims.
The Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, has challenged Ugandans to fully support and use the services of Uganda Airlines after the airline made its maiden pilgrimage flight to the holiest city of Mecca after 40 years.
While flagging off 200 pilgrims at Entebbe International Airport who left for a holy journey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia aboard an Airbus A330, Gen. Katumba noted that most Muslim pilgrims have been going through transit routes.
Katumba said that with Uganda Airlines now available, the pilgrims will be moving directly to Mecca to perform Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam, which must be performed by every financially able Muslim.
“Our Muslims have been finding it difficult to go through transit routes to reach Mecca, but with the availability of Uganda Airlines, this is now sorted out,” said Katumba on Monday.
“Truly, this is a landmark for our country, Uganda, and our Muslim brothers should appreciate this because they will be making direct flights to the holiest city of Mecca,” he added.
He also noted that the national airline will go a long way to tackle the problem of language barriers on the plane, especially among elderly people, since the majority of the passengers on board will be Ugandans.
The third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama Isanga, commended the management of Uganda Airlines for making it possible to fly Ugandan pilgrims to the holiest city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia after 40 years.
“This is a great achievement for our airline to fly our pilgrims to Mecca, and they will arrive in Jeddah, a key Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea and a gateway for pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina, respectively. This is the first batch to be transported by the national airline, and it should be supported to put Uganda on the world map. I implore all the pilgrims to behave well while on their holy journey to Mecca,” she emphasized.
The Second Deputy Mufti of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Sheikh Muhamad Waiswa, lauded the management of Uganda Airlines for setting up a deposit scheme to enable low-income Muslims to save money there in preparation for the holy journey to Mecca.
He also commended the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its cordial working relationship with the government of Uganda.
The Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Airlines, Jennifer Bamunturaki, noted that the first batch has seen 200 pilgrims depart for Mecca, and the second batch of the remaining 25O pilgrims will travel aboard the national airline tomorrow, Tuesday.
She said the national airline shortens the journey for the pilgrims since they are no longer required to go through intermediary airlines as they have before.
She revealed that the management of Uganda Airlines is working closely with the travel agencies or Hajj bureau services to allow deposits on its behalf from low-income Muslims who wish to perform pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Uganda, His Excellence Sheikh Jamal Mohammed Hassan Al-Madani, wished Muslim pilgrims a safe and holy journey to Mecca and back to Uganda.
Sheikh Sulaiman Lubega Guggwa, Uganda’s Deputy Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, asked Ugandans to support the national airline and hailed the management of the airline for the great opportunity to take Ugandan pilgrims to Mecca at a relatively fair cost.
Meanwhile, Makkah-Madinah Hajj Bureau Services boss Sheikh Hussein Muwonge revealed that a total of over 4,000 pilgrims are expected to perform the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
