By Mulengera Reporters
Works & Transport Minister Eng Monica Azuba Ntege has vehemently defended government decision to require 60 percent of the Ugandan air travellers to compulsorily use the soon to be revamped Uganda Airlines. Azuba says this is something GoU is going to enforce very easily without even having to enact any law as opposition spokesperson Betty Nambooze had alleged earlier. In a Saturday interview with Mulengera news, Azuba explained that: “We must cash in on those travellers because the study we conducted as we prepared the revival of the national airline revealed that 60 percent of the Ugandans who travel are traveling for government business abroad. And we don’t find it strange to impose a requirement that all of them must use our national airline because it’s money from the same government. It’s business we must ring-fence.” Azuba, who is at the center of the national carrier restoration, says they are going to offer a very competitive air travel service in order to attract even other private travellers comprising the remaining 40 percent so that the national airliner becomes their first choice whenever they travel out of Uganda to any destination. “Even for destinations where we don’t have direct flights, we are going to ensure that government officials traveling to such places buy their tickets through the national airline,” Azuba explained urging the rest of the public and stakeholders to be supportive because in it’s relentless efforts to revive the airline, government is acting in the broader Ugandan public interest. The opposition leaders are also critical of the fact that Gard Gasatura who is heading the interim board for the national airline company is too old having retired from flying planes decades ago. Nambooze says the man doesn’t know anything about the dynamics of the contemporary aviation industry. She contemptously categorizes him as “Born Before Computers.” For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
