Just days after the airlines plying international routes raised their fees over the government’s adjusted tax bracket, The City Review can reveal that the situation has stirred a mixture of consequences for travelers and companies.

On its part, Ugandan Airlines has maintained that the skyrocketing air ticket prices inspired by the adjustments to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority changes have not affected its regional prices. 

The City Review made a spot-check visit at the carrier’s offices in Juba yesterday and found out that their flight prices from Juba to Entebbe had not been increased.

But several other international airlines operating in the country have increased their flight prices following the increment in navigation service fees by the aviation authority. 

Last week, the international commercial airlines issued a notice to the passengers that they were increasing the flight fees due to the navigational fees levied on them by the Civil Aviation Authority. 

The carriers argued the increased navigation fees translated into an extra burden that they had shared with the travelers. 

New fees

In an interview with The City Review yesterday, a Ugandan Airline booking agent identified as Joshua said the fees were still affordable.

 “From Juba to Entebbe, one still costs $235, if it is two-way flights a client pays $450 on discounts. Although there are some changes from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority, the prices are still maintained maybe in few days to come things may change,” he said. 

But when The City Review visited the Ugandan Airlines portal, a person traveling to Entebbe via the carrier on Thursday, October 21, was supposed to pay $183 as of yesterday and $153 on the return journey on Friday, October 22. According to the price list on the carrier’s website, the airlines charge $336 on round-trip. This means that the money pocketed by the agency doing the ticketing equally eats a huge chunk of the travelers’ fees.  

Nonetheless, according to Joshua, Ugandan Airlines has ‘‘now fixed prices and it now charges fees depending on the availabilities of the flights’’.

“Sometimes our clients may either pay less or more depending on the availabilities of the flights. You either pay less on earlier bookings only on short notes you may request to pay the extra amount,” he said.

But as for a Fly Dubai agent who introduced himself as Deepak, the increase in prices of the air tickets was inevitable especially after the government increased taxes.  

Although he did not disclose by percentage by which the company increased its tickets fees, he insisted that the increase was commensurate with the percentage of the increments by the Civil Aviation Authority.

“The increments came as a result of economic hardship in the country and recently Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) new adjustments on trying to improve navigational service system. 

Decrying taxes

“The government has increased everything, and we now pay for a lot of taxes, not for one thing only starting from parking yard, up to us in the offices here; the list is long,” he added.

According to him, due to the different charges by the country’s CAA, the company normally gets less from the amount clients pay to the company.

“They [making the] airlines pay more in different documents, so the companies cannot maintain the old prices,” he added.

“Now from Juba to Dubai cost $1,182 that is on two-way ticket, while one-way ticket cost $787 per person compared to the previous months back $900 to 1,000,’’ he revealed. 

A Kenyan Airways ticketing agent identified as Marion told The City Review that their ticket costs $400 to $ 450 for one way while $750 on the two-way air ticket.

“It depends on how a client book the ticket, when you book on short notes they pay is more than the long notes,” she revealed.

But when the City Review visited the KQ portal, a two-way trip to Nairobi averagely costs a traveler slightly above $770. This is still within the limit of their previous charges before the companies announced the registration of fees. 

Agum Agak, one of the travelers said that she used to pay less than what she paid yesterday to go to Kampala.

“It has been the habit these days where today you pay for something more or less and at the end of the day, you do not question where it is happening. So, it is really difficult for the clients to question because it has become a culture in the country,” Ms. Agak said.

However, most of the domestic airlines’ ticket prices remain as usual according to the agencies.

Maliet Magar who works for the Kusu Airline travel company said passengers’ tickets within the country have not changed.

“For instance, from Juba to Bentiu costs a person $90 and until today we are keeping that and even from here to Yambio we still sell the ticket $100 per person,” Magar cited.

Deal signed

In March 2021, the South Sudan government signed a deal with airspace management company-Navpass, to set up ground infrastructure that will enhance air traffic and earn more revenue from navigation services. 

The contract was to enable the government to scoop more revenues which it had previously not been able before to access Navpass’s automated technology.

 The stakeholders touted the deal as a gamechanger to the country saying it would open a floodgate for revenue due to its efficient monitoring capability.  

Navpass is an international airspace management Specialist company that is currently operating in various African countries to implement ICAO and International Transport Association IATA guidelines to improve airspace. 

Regional flights

$750- Amount it costs to travel from Juba to Nairobi round-trip with Kenya Airways

$450- Amount it costs to travel from Juba to Entebbe round-trip by Ugandan Airlines

$336- Average price of traveling from Juba to Entebbe round-trip when booking prior by Ugandan Airlines.

$950- Old flight fees charged by Fly Duba to travel from Juba to Dubai round-trip

$1,182- New flight price from Juba to Dubai round-trip as charged by Fly Dubai

$787- New one-way trip from Juba to Dubai via Fly Dubai.