BY BICHOLIN K MUSISI

Officials from Uganda Airlines are appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) today to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s 2023/24 report.

The airline delegation, led by Chief Executive Jennifer Bamuturaki, are facing scrutiny over financial performance and procurement decisions, particularly the purchase and grounding of the CRJ-900 fleet.

The meeting comes a week after a previous interface that drew intense media attention - and a day after their scheduled appearance could not go ahead to the chagrin of the legislators.

COSASE emphasized that the investigation aims to clarify procurement decisions and hold officials accountable for financial management at Uganda Airlines.

Reports had suggested that Uganda Airlines grounded its CRJ-900 aircraft because they were “junk,” raising concerns over the lack of manufacturer support for spare parts.

Ms Bamuturaki clarified that this perception stemmed from a misunderstanding of standard airline operations.

The airline, revived only six years ago after decades in the aviation cemetery, recorded a Shs237.855 billion loss in 2024, down from Shs324.9 billion in 2023. She attributed most of the losses to high fuel costs, aircraft depreciation, and crew allowances.

“The largest contributor to our losses is fuel, followed by depreciation and crew allowances,” Ms Bamuturaki said, stressing that other expenses were categorized as direct and indirect costs.

Uganda Airlines currently operates four Bombardier CRJ-900 narrow-body jets and two Airbus A330-800neo wide-body planes.

The CRJ-900 fleet has faced grounding challenges because Mitsubishi Heavy Industries halted spare parts production, leaving airlines reliant on scarce and costly replacements.

The committee is also focusing on alleged irregularities in the procurement of the CRJ-900 aircraft from a company that has since closed, complicating access to spare parts.

COSASE oversight committee is chaired by Busiro East MP Medard Lubega Sseggona of the National Unity Platform.