Uganda Airlines Long-Haul Crisis Deepens As Tycoon Sudhir Falls Victim To London Flight Cancellations

Uganda’s national carrier, Uganda Airlines, is grappling with escalating operational turbulence after grounding both of its long-haul aircraft, triggering a wave of flight cancellations that has now ensnared city tycoon Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia among affected passengers.

“My Sunday flight was cancelled,” Sudhir told our Spy Andrew Irumba via WhatsApp chat on Friday evening, after his scheduled trip to London was abruptly called off. The prominent businessman had been slated to travel for what insiders describe as a multi-billion-shilling business engagement in the United Kingdom.

The cancellation comes amid an official announcement by Uganda Airlines confirming temporary disruption of its long-haul services due to unscheduled maintenance on two wide-body aircraft.

Mumbai Flight First To Be Axed

The airline initially issued a cancellation notice for its Mumbai service scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026. Flight UR 430/431 operating between Entebbe (EBB) and Mumbai (BOM) was formally cancelled “due to operational reasons,” according to the carrier.

Under normal operations, UR 430 departs Entebbe at 13:20 hours and arrives in Mumbai at 23:00 hours, while the return leg, UR 431, departs Mumbai at 01:10 hours and arrives in Entebbe at 05:50 hours. Both rotations were scrapped as the crisis unfolded.

London Route Also Affected

While the airline’s initial communication highlighted disruptions on the Mumbai route, subsequent developments have affected the Entebbe–London service, one of Uganda Airlines’ flagship long-haul routes and a critical revenue generator.

In a travel advisory dated 20th February 2026, Uganda Airlines management disclosed that two of its long-haul aircraft are temporarily out of service due to unscheduled maintenance. The airline emphasized that passenger safety and comfort remain its highest priority.

“We understand that this may cause concern and inconvenience,” the statement reads in part, adding that customer experience and operations teams are working to re-accommodate affected travelers.

Passengers have been offered rebooking on partner airlines where available, schedule adjustments, or flexibility to rebook without change fees.

Sudhir’s High-Stakes London Trip

Sudhir’s cancelled journey underscores the magnitude of the disruption. Sources within Kampala’s business community indicate that the trip involved high-level meetings tied to property, finance, and hospitality investments — sectors in which the Ruparelia Group maintains significant interests.

Given the scale of his operations spanning banking, real estate, education, insurance, and hospitality, any interruption to scheduled international engagements carries potential ripple effects across multiple portfolios.

Industry observers note that while airlines globally face periodic maintenance challenges, the grounding of both long-haul aircraft simultaneously exposes structural vulnerabilities within Uganda Airlines’ fleet strategy, particularly given its limited wide-body capacity.

Background: A Fragile Long-Haul Expansion

Uganda Airlines resumed operations in 2019 after nearly two decades of dormancy. The government invested heavily in rebuilding the national carrier, acquiring a fleet that includes Airbus A330-800neo aircraft for long-haul operations and CRJ-900s for regional routes.

The London route, launched with considerable diplomatic and commercial fanfare, was positioned as a strategic bridge connecting Uganda directly to Europe. Similarly, the Mumbai service targets strong trade and medical travel traffic between Uganda and India.

However, aviation analysts have repeatedly cautioned that operating long-haul routes with a minimal number of wide-body aircraft leaves little margin for technical contingencies. When one aircraft undergoes maintenance, schedule resilience becomes strained; when two are grounded, network paralysis becomes almost inevitable.

Operational Recovery Efforts

Uganda Airlines says it is working “around the clock” to source required components and technical expertise to restore the grounded aircraft to service. The airline has urged passengers booked on London and Mumbai flights to check flight status updates via its website and contact its global call centre for assistance.

As of now, the duration of the disruption remains unclear. For high-profile passengers like Sudhir — and hundreds of other travelers — the episode serves as a stark reminder that Uganda Airlines’ ambitious intercontinental aspirations must be matched by robust operational redundancy.

Until the grounded aircraft return to the skies, the Pearl of Africa’s flag carrier faces one of its most testing moments yet in its modern revival.