Kampala Executive Aviation

What Kampala Executive Aviation does

Kampala Executive Aviation (KEA) is a Ugandan-headquartered specialist aviation services provider founded in 2008, operating the largest privately owned aircraft fleet in Uganda with both fixed-wing and rotary-wing capability. The company delivers integrated aviation solutions spanning charter flights, 24-hour medical evacuation with Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), aerial and geophysical surveying (LIDAR, pipeline, powerline, seismic, wildlife census), oil/gas/mining operational support, humanitarian air services, and licensed aircraft maintenance through Uganda- and Iraq-licensed AMOs. Its technology footprint includes Night Vision Goggle (NVG) operations, the Visionmap A3 Edge aerial mapping system combined with facial recognition software for wildlife census, a real-time flight-following and asset-tracking platform, and a fleet that includes Bell 412, Bell 206 Jet Ranger, Pilatus PC12, Beechcraft 1900D, Caravan C208B, Cessna 210, and DA42 MPP Guardian aircraft.

KEA serves enterprise clients including Total E&P Uganda, CNOOC Uganda, Tullow Oil, DAR Petroleum, and Fluor Corporation in the oil, gas, and mining sectors, alongside UN humanitarian agencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, government agencies in Iraq and Chad, and tourism/VIP customers through its FlyUganda subsidiary. The company operates across 13 countries in Africa and the Middle East, with operational bases in Kajjansi (Uganda headquarters), Kalemie (DRC), N'Djamena (Chad), and Erbil (Kurdistan Iraq), and maintains competitive advantages including its Total plc/Bureau Veritas approval, ICAO/IOGP/BARS crew certifications, and an accident-free track record over more than 10 years.

The revenue model combines multi-year enterprise contracts (oil/gas operators, humanitarian organizations, governments) with quote-based charter and medevac services, project-based aerial surveying, and third-party aircraft maintenance. Business development relies on competitive tenders, industry conference presence (Africa Oil Week, PAU National Content Conference), and direct enterprise sales. The FlyUganda subsidiary handles scheduled domestic tourism routes, while affiliated entities Priority Air Ambulance and Pangea Aviation Academy extend the platform into air ambulance and pilot training services respectively.

Name

Kampala Executive Aviation

Legal name

Kampala Executive Aviation Limited

Website

https://flykea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KEA is a Ugandan specialist aviation services provider founded in 2008, operating the largest privately owned fleet in Uganda to serve oil, gas, and mining operators, humanitarian organizations, and government agencies across 13 African and Middle Eastern countries with charter, medevac, and aerial survey services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Charter Services

NAICS

Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Scheduled Air Transportation (48111)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand/Charter Helicopter Passenger Services (THABAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore Passenger Transport (Oil & Gas Crew Transfer) (THABAGAF), Crew & Offshore / Oil & Gas Personnel Charter Operators (THABADAI), Private Jet Charter (Midsize/Super-Midsize/Heavy Jet) (TLAFABAB)

Keywords

• Charter aviation services
• Helicopter operations
• Medical evacuation air ambulance
• Aerial geophysical survey
• Oil gas aviation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Kajansi

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charter Flights: Private helicopter and fixed wing charter services for passengers and cargo across Africa. Includes VIP transport, business charters, and scenic flights.
2. Medical Evacuation Services: 24-hour medical evacuation, helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), and air ambulance operations with Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) capabilities.
3. Humanitarian Air Services: Contracted passenger and cargo transportation for humanitarian efforts, including UN agencies and international non-profits operating in conflict and disaster zones.
4. Aircraft Maintenance and Hangarage: Third-party maintenance services through licensed AMO covering scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, sheet metal repairs, and avionics repairs for multiple aircraft types.
5. Aerial and Geophysical Survey: Aerial survey services including pipeline survey, seismic survey, LIDAR surveys, powerline survey, wildlife census, and orthophoto-mapping for various industries.
6. Logistics and Project Management: Remote camp construction, catering services, and integrated logistics solutions for oil, gas, and mining operations in austere environments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kampala Executive Aviation (KEA) operates the largest privately owned aviation fleet in Uganda, providing charter helicopter and fixed-wing services, 24/7 medical evacuation and air ambulance operations, aerial and geophysical survey work, oil/gas/mining aviation support, and third-party aircraft maintenance and hangarage. The company delivers full-spectrum aviation solutions to enterprise clients across Africa and the Middle East, including multinational oil and gas operators, government agencies, humanitarian organizations, and tourism/VIP customers, with operations spanning 13 countries.

Product overview

Kampala Executive Aviation (KEA) is a leading global specialist aviation solutions provider offering a full spectrum of aviation-centric services for challenging and austere environments. The company's portfolio includes Charter Flights (private helicopter and fixed-wing services), Rotary and Fixed Wing Services (integrated aviation solutions), Medical Division/Medical Evacuation (24-hour air ambulance with ALS/ATLS capabilities), Aerial and Geophysical Survey (LIDAR, pipeline, wildlife surveys using Visionmap A3 Edge equipment with facial recognition), Oil Gas and Mining Support, Aircraft Maintenance and Hangarage. Key subsidiaries and affiliates include FlyUganda (scheduled domestic flights), Priority Air Ambulance (air ambulance services), and Pangea Aviation Academy (pilot training). KEA operates the largest privately owned fleet in Uganda consisting of Bell 412, Bell 206 Jet Ranger, Pilatus PC12 (executive seating), Beechcraft 1900D, Caravan C208B, Cessna 210, and DA42 MPP Guardian aircraft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charter Flights Private helicopter and fixed-wing charter services providing safe, fast passenger and cargo transport across Africa, including VIP transport, business charters, and scenic flights for enterprise and high-value clients.
• Rotary and Fixed Wing Services Fully integrated aviation solutions combining helicopter and fixed-wing operations including passenger and cargo transport, search and rescue, external and underslung load work, and VIP transport for enterprise clients in austere environments.
• Medical Evacuation (Medical Division) 24-hour medical evacuation and air ambulance services including NVG-capable helicopter operations, Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), supporting remote site clinics and serving enterprise and humanitarian clients.
• Aerial and Geophysical Survey Fast, accurate aerial survey services including pipeline survey, seismic survey, LIDAR surveys, powerline survey, wildlife census, road and drainage survey, land survey, and orthophoto-mapping using Visionmap A3 Edge equipment.
• Oil, Gas and Mining Aviation Support Aviation services tailored to oil, gas and mining industries, including surveillance, crew rotations, LIDAR mapping, medical evacuation, onshore and offshore transportation, flight dispatch and asset tracking, adhering to OGP 590/390 and customer technical orders.
• Aircraft Maintenance and Hangarage Third-party aircraft maintenance services through Uganda- and Iraqi-licensed Aircraft Maintenance Organizations (AMO), including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, minor sheet metal repairs, and avionics repairs on Beechcraft, Pilatus, Cessna, and Bell aircraft series.
• FlyUganda Scheduled Domestic Flights Subsidiary brand providing scheduled domestic passenger flights within Uganda, including tourism destinations, with fixed-wing and helicopter charter flights available to all locations in Uganda and East Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10 years operational history with accident-free record since 2008
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Priority Air AmbulancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2019Affiliate company partnered with KEA for air ambulance operations in Uganda. Priority Air Ambulance provides the medical expertise and crew while KEA provides air assets and Air Operator Certificate. KEA's Bell 412 helicopter and flight crews support Priority's air ambulance missions with dedicated flight medical crew and state-of-the-art medical equipment including defibrillator, ECG monitor, spinal immobilization equipment, and advanced airway management equipment. Priority Air Ambulance is registering as an NGO and teamed up with KEA for air assets and AOC.
• City AmbulanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with City Ambulance for ground ambulance transport to complement air ambulance services. Medical evacuation training exercises conducted together at Kajjansi Airfield focusing on patient transfer procedures between ground ambulances and aircraft.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PHI Aviation: Major offshore helicopter services provider with global operations. Comparable helicopter crew transfer, medevac and SAR capabilities to KEA, particularly relevant as a benchmark for oil & gas contract scale.
• CHC Helicopter: One of the world's largest helicopter operators serving offshore oil & gas, search and rescue, and medevac across multiple continents. Directly comparable mission profile (crew transfer, medevac, SAR) to KEA, though at much larger scale.
• Bristow Group: Global helicopter services leader with significant Africa and offshore oil & gas exposure. Larger fleet and balance sheet, but competes head-to-head for the same IOC/NOC contracts KEA targets, particularly Total.

Direct peers

• 748 Air Services: Kenya-based charter and scheduled operator with rotary and fixed-wing capability across East Africa. Overlapping customer base in tourism, corporate charter and government/VIP work.
• Safarilink Aviation: Kenya-based scheduled and charter operator serving tourism, business and safari routes with a comparable fixed-wing fleet. Closest direct competitor to FlyUganda and similar charter tourism client base.
• DAC Aviation (EA) Limited: East Africa-based charter and management company operating executive jets, freighters and helicopters across the region. Direct regional peer in charter, MRO and government/VIP charter mission set.
• Phoenix Aviation: Kenya-based executive charter operator with fixed-wing jets and helicopters. Comparable VIP and corporate charter mission set, particularly relevant for KEA's executive seating and medevac positioning.
• Caverton Helicopters: Nigerian-based helicopter charter operator serving oil & gas majors (Total, Shell, etc.) in West Africa with a similar Bell 412/S76 fleet mix. Closest geographic and customer-base comparable to KEA, with overlapping offshore/onshore crew transfer missions.
• Heli Malongo: Angola-based helicopter operator supporting offshore oil & gas crew transfer and medevac. Closest sub-Saharan peer to KEA on the oil & gas helicopter mission profile, including NVG medevac.
• Eagle Air Uganda: Uganda-based charter and scheduled operator serving tourism, NGO and corporate clients. Direct local competitor to FlyUganda and KEA's charter business in the home market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fly_kea
• Facebookfacebook.com/KampalaExecutiveAviation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kea-specialist-aviation-solutions

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kampala Executive Aviation