Etihad Airways will build upon the success of its Entebbe cargo flights with the launch of a new passenger service to the East African city.

Daily flights will be operated to Entebbe International Airport from May 1st 2015, using a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft with 16 Business Class seats and 120 Economy Class seats.

The route will provide business and leisure travellers with a direct connection between Entebbe in central Uganda and Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub, together with convenient onward flights to the GCC region, Europe, Indian subcontinent, north Asia, south-east Asia and Australia.

Etihad Airways commenced its weekly Airbus A330-200F freighter service to Entebbe on May 26th 2014 and in less than two months, has transported over 120 tonnes of freight and mail on the route, including a high volume of electronics and textiles into Uganda, while outbound flights are mainly stocked with perishables and consumer goods for the GCC region and Europe.

Etihad president James Hogan said: “The appetite for travel to and from Africa has never been stronger, and Entebbe, one of the continent’s fastest-growing business and tourism destinations, is a great addition to Etihad Airways’ global network.

“We are confident the new passenger route will replicate the positive response our cargo flights have received within their first two months of operation.

“The UAE is Uganda’s primary trade partner in the GCC, and tourism links are flourishing between the two countries, which will strengthen demand.

“The flights are also scheduled to offer convenient onward connections, catering to strong traffic flows between Uganda and other destinations in our global network.”

As the gateway to Uganda, Entebbe offers a variety of unique tourist attractions, many of which centre on wildlife and nature reserves, such as Entebbe Botanic Gardens, Entebbe Wildlife Education Centre and Uganda Reptile Village.

Despite being a landlocked country, visitors can also enjoy the city’s sandy beaches, which overlook Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa.

Etihad Airways has announced six new routes for the first half of 2015, starting with Kolkata in February, Madrid in March, Entebbe in May, and Edinburgh, Hong Kong and Algiers in June.

The airline’s flights to and from Entebbe can be booked from today onwards on etihad.com, through Etihad Airways Contact Centres, or via travel agents.