Ugandan airlines management has said it is considering adding a local delicacy to its menu for regional and international flights.
This comes after a video went viral of a Ugandan passenger Mubiru Paul, selling Nsenene (grasshoppers) aboard Uganda Airlines airplane from Entebbe to Dubai on Friday.
In the video, it was evident that the Ugandan patriots who were on board were excited about the delicacy as several of them purchased Nsenene from Mubiru.
Uganda Airlines issued a statement on Saturday saying it will not take Mubiru’s kind of conduct lightly because it undermines the spirit of the National Carrier.
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The airline said the act was disruptive and particularly picked issue with the manner in which the vendor was serving the delicacy to the passengers.
“We are in talks with passengers involved, and if there is another occurrence of such conduct on Board, the passenger will be off-loaded without further consideration. No one should be exposed to an unruly market experience on our flight. The unacceptable disruptive behaviour prevents the performance of critical duties of the flight crew,” the statement read in part.
However, the airline said it picked a lesson from the incident as it realized some of their customers enjoy the delicacy.
With that in mind, the airline said it is considering adding the ‘Nsenene’ to the menu for its regional and international flights.
“We have picked lessons from the incident. Some of our customers enjoy Nsenene. We understand that they were not in plenty this season hence the excitement. We are considering adding Nsenene, a Ugandan delicacy, to our menu for regional and international flights on request. This addition of Nsenene on our menu will bring the Ugandan culture to the world,” the statement read.
Uganda Airlines said serving the delicacy onboard their flight would bring Ugandan culture to the world. The airline also said the move would boost tourism marketing and the livelihood of the people in the grasshopper business.
“This move will boost tourism marketing and the livelihood of people in the grasshopper value chain going forward,” the statement continued.
The airline also issued a stern warning that should such transactions recur onboard their flights, the passengers involved will be offloaded without further consideration, as nobody should be exposed to unruly market experiences in their flight.
“We are in talks with passengers involved, and if there is another occurrence of such conduct on Board, the passenger will be off-loaded without further consideration. No one should be exposed to an unruly market experience on our flight. The unacceptable disruptive behaviour prevents the performance of critical duties of the flight crew,” the airline said.
Mubiru has issued a statement in which he apologised to the airline for his action, explaining the video was only meant for comical purposes and the exercise was not at all meant for financial gains.
“I am sorry to the fellow countrymen and women, the staff of Uganda Airline, passengers and everyone hurt by the act on board. I recorded that video in question not to tarnish or ashame the Airline, the country or the passengers on board but for comedy purposes specifically Tiktok deeds. What appears as vending in the video was all for comical purposes but never for transactional gains,” Mubiru wrote.
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