There were excitement and optimism on Thursday night at the new terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos when Uganda Airlines inaugural flight touched down to mark the beginning of direct flight between Nigeria and East African nation.
The elated delegation from Uganda said direct flight between both countries would deepen economic ties and social relationship between the two countries.
Direct flight from Uganda to Nigeria is three and half hours, but in the past anyone travelling from Nigeria to Uganda would have to connect flight from another country, which took about 10 hours, a factor that discouraged robust economic interaction between the two nations.
Speaking during a press conference in Lagos on arrival, the Chief Executive Officer, Uganda Airlines, Jennifer Bamuturaki, said the flight service would be three times a week and would cut travel time from 10 hours to three and half hours.
She stated that the launch of flight services to Lagos by Uganda’s national carrier would help to close the gap for travellers shuttling to the West and East African countries.
Also speaking, the Uganda High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Nelson Ocherger, expressed joy over the inaugural flight of Uganda Airlines to Lagos, saying the approval by the Nigerian government would open a vista of business opportunities to both nations.
