Uganda Airlines has officially welcomed a wet-leased Boeing 737-800 into its growing fleet as part of a new operational partnership with Ethiopian Airlines.

The national carrier announced the development on Tuesday, describing the aircraft as the first of two newly leased planes expected to support operations across its regional network.

In a statement shared, Uganda Airlines said the additional aircraft would help strengthen operational flexibility and improve connectivity across its destinations.

The Boeing 737-800 is being operated under a wet-lease arrangement, a common aviation agreement where the aircraft is provided together with crew, maintenance, insurance and operational support by the leasing airline.

Industry analysts say wet leases are often used by airlines to quickly increase capacity, maintain schedules during peak travel periods or support operations during fleet maintenance programs.

The partnership with Ethiopian Airlines adds one of Africa’s largest and most established carriers into Uganda Airlines’ operational network support strategy.

Uganda Airlines has in recent months continued expanding its route network while also working to improve schedule reliability and passenger connectivity across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The airline currently operates both regional and long-haul services from Entebbe International Airport, connecting Uganda to destinations including Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, Dubai, Mumbai and London.

The latest fleet addition comes as the airline continues positioning itself for long-term growth in East Africa’s competitive aviation sector.

Uganda Airlines relaunched commercial operations in 2019 after nearly two decades out of service and has since expanded its fleet with Airbus A330-800neo and CRJ900 aircraft.

The airline said the newly leased Boeing 737-800 will help enhance flexibility and support growing passenger demand across its network.