Building (air) bridges between countries and continents - Part 1

The launch of a direct route to London is an important milestone that not only moves passengers but strengthens trade and many industries, says Susan Batuuka Kaggwa, Company Secretary/Head of Legal for Uganda Airlines. 

“We see this route as contributing directly to transforming Uganda into a competitive trade and tourism centre in Africa, and to the government of Uganda’s targets under Vision 2040,” says Susan. “We see our airline as an enabler to implement the growth of our country and the export basket.”

Vision 2040 looks to boost Uganda’s economy tenfold from $50 billion USD to $500 billion USD, with agriculture, tourism, minerals, science and technology as the key drivers. Tourism is expected to contribute $50 billion, up from $2 billion. 

A few weeks in, the direct flights are already having an impact, notes Susan.

“We’re flying a passenger aircraft, but ever since we started the cargo belly is also full of fish, coffee, fruits, green chiles, pineapples, avocados. The direct London flight has streamlined cargo and passenger transport, cut costs for exporters, and made it easier and faster for fresh Ugandan products to get to the market.”

It makes it much easier for tourists to get to Uganda, explore wildlife and visit great sites, notes Susan. With a vibrant diaspora in the UK, the new connection also supports family ties, along with educational exchange and business travel. 

Behind the many benefits the London route opens up, lies an obscene amount of legal work, and relationship building. The route launch has been five years of preparation, many months of 20-hour workdays, to realise a thirty-year dream. 

“The Uganda–London Gatwick route is a symbol of national pride, economic opportunity, and international diplomacy,” says Susan. “However, it’s also a legally complex venture requiring meticulous regulatory planning, compliance with multiple legal regimes, and sound bilateral cooperation.”

Susan led a project where more than sixty aviation experts, legal and commercial professionals were involved, including various Ugandan and UK government agencies. 

“New route readiness involves preparing all operational, regulatory, and diplomatic elements before launching flights, starting with international air traffic rights and ending with commercial operations,” says Susan, who will be sharing more of her expertise and learnings at the GC Forum | Governance, Risk & Compliance in Johannesburg on 17 September. 

Her team had to negotiate and review many key agreements prior to the inaugural flight to Gatwick, requiring law and diplomacy. This included a Bilateral Air Services Agreement, formal route designation, Third Country Operator (TCO) certification, UK and international security requirements, foreign carrier permits, landing slots and airport agreements, system integration with UK Border Force, Montreal Convention compliance, carbon offsets and emissions, along with insurance, liability, consumer protection and data security matters, among others. 

“Early planning is critical to mitigate risks and avoid delays,” says Susan, who joined Uganda Airlines two and half years ago and has over 23 years of experience in corporate governance and strategic management across multiple sectors,

As Head of Legal, Susan was determined not to sit on the sidelines and wait for litigation or to put agreements down on paper. She and her team were heavily involved from the beginning, with weekly London route readiness meetings. 

But the work doesn’t stop with the launch of the direct London route. 

“The legal team in an airline is at the heartbeat of everything we are, from ground handling to engineering to flight operation,” she says. “Compliance is key to an airline, and we do that continuously as a legal team.”

This is part one of a two-part series. In the second piece, Susan will discuss the soft skills, including emotional intelligence and relationship building, that are key in aviation law.

Susan will also be speaking the GC Forum | Governance, Risk & Compliance, hosted by Africa Legal in partnership with Afriwise, in Johannesburg on 17 September.  You can register to attend here