South African private-sector regional airline Airlink has announced that it will start scheduled services to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. The service will start on July 19 and will be operated four times a week.

“Entebbe, which is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria, serves Kampala, which is Uganda’s economic and trading hub, but also an important gateway to the Eastern Africa economic community and the Great Lakes region, which represents a significant market,” explained Airlink CEO and MD Rodger Foster. “Our flights will enable and strengthen closer relations and activity between the Southern and Eastern African blocs and will also make it possible for tourists to explore and experience the diverse and rich array of travel experiences of both regions.”

The airline will operate the new service with its largest types in its fleet, the state-of-the-art Embraer E-Jets. “With our modern fleet and strict compliance with biosafety measures, Airlink is able to provide safe air travel and support the revival of tourism and economic activity, which are vital for creating and sustaining jobs and livelihoods in Uganda and South Africa,” he highlighted.

The flights from Johannesburg (OR Tambo International Airport) to Entebbe have been assigned the flight code 4Z 190, and will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. On these days they will depart at 21:15 (9.15 PM), arriving at Entebbe at 02:30 the next morning.

The return flights will be coded 4Z 191 and will be flown on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. They will depart Entebbe at 03:30 and arrive in Johannesburg at 07:00.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, travellers must consult the latest information from the appropriate authorities in the countries they seek to visit, regarding travel and biosafety requirements. Airlink’s E-Jets are fitted with high efficiency particulate air filters, which effectively filter out of the air 99.97% of particulate matter, including Covid-19 molecules.