Kenyan low-cost airline JamboJet has returned to Uganda with a daily direct Nairobi-Entebbe service, eight years after it first opened the route.
The airline’s return flight touched down at Entebbe International Airport at 11:15am on Thursday, October 1, 2026, where it was received with a water salute in a ceremony attended by Works and Transport minister Fred Byamukama and officials from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
The relaunch makes JamboJet the 21st international air operator at Entebbe International Airport, further expanding passenger choice and Uganda’s international air connectivity.
JamboJet first launched the Nairobi-Entebbe route in 2018 but later suspended operations during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Patricia Ithau, chairperson of the JamboJet board, said Uganda remained an important market for the airline, describing Entebbe as the starting point of its international expansion.
“Uganda is very special to me and to us because it was actually our first international route that we opened. At that time, our goal was simply to start. Today our goal is to scale and we are back to Entebbe where it all began,” Ithau said.
She said the airline did not leave Uganda because of weak demand, but because of the disruption caused by the pandemic.
“We didn’t leave Uganda actually because demand was gone. The pandemic is what forced us to step back and we’re returning here because that demand is strong and there is a huge opportunity,” she said.
Ithau said the airline was returning with a stronger network, an expanded fleet and experience gained from carrying more than 10 million passengers.
She said the return was also part of JamboJet’s wider ambition to strengthen regional connectivity by linking people, businesses and opportunities across East Africa.
Through Nairobi, Ugandan travellers will be able to connect to JamboJet’s growing network across Kenya, including the coast, while the airline hopes to attract more Kenyans travelling to Uganda for business, tourism and investment.
For Uganda, the return adds another operator to one of its busiest international routes.
Byamukama said Kenya remained one of Uganda’s most important trading partners and a critical gateway to regional and global markets.
“Every day, people, goods and services move between our two countries, demonstrating the strength of this partnership and the opportunity it continues to create,” he said.
The minister said the Nairobi-Entebbe route was among the top three destinations for passengers departing Uganda and one of the most competitive routes.
“In order to further enhance connectivity with the rest of the world, Uganda has to date concluded bilateral air service agreements with 64 countries worldwide,” Byamukama said.
He said bilateral air service agreements provide the legal framework for international air services between Uganda and partner countries, including the designation of airlines, traffic rights and routes.
Byamukama said aviation was about more than transporting passengers because it connects businesses to markets, tourists to destinations, investors to opportunities and families to one another.
“The return of JamboJet, which we are witnessing today, therefore represents far more than the resumption of service between Nairobi and Entebbe,” he said.
Fred Bamwesigye, the UCAA director general, described JamboJet’s return as a vote of confidence in Uganda’s aviation sector.
“The return to Entebbe International Airport is a clear vote of confidence in Uganda’s air transport system and demonstrates the growth of the aviation industry in the region,” Bamwesigye said.
He commended Uganda’s aviation sector for its safety and security record and urged JamboJet and other operators at Entebbe to maintain strict safety and security standards while providing efficient services to travellers.
Bamwesigye also pointed to Uganda’s growing role in international aviation governance, noting that the country regained a seat on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council last year.
“This is important because it gives Uganda a stronger voice in the global body responsible for setting international civil aviation standards and policies,” he said.
JamboJet’s chief finance officer, speaking on behalf of chief executive officer Karanja Ndegwa, said the airline was returning with a focus on affordable fares, direct connectivity and reliable service.
“First launched on the route in 2018, JamboJet returns with a strengthened network and a clear proposition: affordable fares, direct connectivity and reliable service for travellers moving between Uganda and Kenya,” he said.
The airline has started with one daily flight, with the possibility of increasing frequencies as demand grows.
Ithau said JamboJet would continue to assess opportunities to expand its regional network where there was sufficient demand and sustainable value.
“As we begin our next chapter in Uganda, our commitment is straightforward: to serve this market well, listen to its needs and grow with it,” she said.
“We are back, we are back to build and we look forward to building this connection together with Uganda.”
