Uganda Airlines A330 demo flight touches base in South Africa

The Uganda Airlines Airbus 330 neo, demonstration  flight on Thursday evening touched base in South Africa.

The aircraft, which took off at 11:56am from Entebbe International Airport, was boarded by a limited number of passengers and some lucky Ugandans who were able to get a glimpse at the rare big aircraft.

The national carrier later confirmed through its social media channels that the Airbus 330 neo had safely landed at O.R Tambo, South Africa.

"It’s a smooth and safe landing at O.R Tambo for the Crane #Airbus #A330neo in the capable hands of Senior training captain Francis Barros and senior training captain Pete Thomas. #FlyUgandaAirlines" Uganda Airlines said in a tweet.

According to the airline, the move is aimed at attaining Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for the two recently acquired Airbus A330 aircrafts.

Granted and approved by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), AOC allows an operator to use aircraft for commercial purposes.

"Successful completion of this demonstration flight will allow for the inclusion of the A330 type on to that AOC alongside the M/MRJ900NG."

Uganda Airlines owns two Airbus A330 neos purchased from aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The two were received in December 2020 and February 2021.

The completion of the country's purchase of the two aircrafts according to Uganda Airlines is expected to boost the national carrier's ambition to start long haul operation.

The current development comes on backdrop of the national airline's recently announced plans to expand its international network with flights from Entebbe International Airport (the hub), to intercontinental destinations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.