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The Ethiopian Airlines Flight No. ET 338, a Boeing 737-800, which overshot the runway at Entebbe International Airport  on landing at 12.41 am has been removed from the runway end at about 10:15 am and flight operations resumed.

When the incident happened, all the 139 passengers and crew on-board disembarked safely. In line with international practice, Civil Aviation Authority immediately issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) temporarily stopping incoming flights from outside the country until after the aircraft had been safely removed from the runway end.

The incident mainly affected in bound international flights including Turkish Airlines, Kenya Airways, Egypt Air and Rwanda Air, which all had incoming morning flights. It also affected some outbound flights. However, aircraft of other air operators, which were on the ground before the incident were able to depart.

We have closely worked hand in hand with Ethiopian Airlines and other stakeholders at the Airport to ensure that removal of the aircraft is done smoothly.

Inconveniences caused to the users of Entebbe International Airport that may have been affected by the incident are highly regretted.

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Dr. David Kakuba (center), Eng. Ronny Barongo (fourth left) with aviation experts at the workshop at Central Inn, Entebbe.

Uganda is set to implement the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) effective January 1, 2019. Under CORSIA, airline operators will start reporting their annual carbon emissions. This was revealed during a CAA Uganda sensitisation workshop for aviation experts at Central Inn, Entebbe on December 17, 2018.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, CAA Managing Director, Dr. David Kakuba said that activities under CORSIA envisioned Environmental Protection in regard to international aviation as one of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Strategic objectives.

Dr. Kakuba emphasised the timeliness for Uganda to implement CORSIA since it was now mandatory for all states with airline operators conducting international flights to Monitor, Report and Verify (MRV) carbon emissions.

“I would like to encourage participants to focus on the stated objectives, which emphasize information exchange on CORSIA implementation requirement, focus on the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification aspects and ensure that procedures and required actions are well understood,” he said.

Dr. Kakuba expressed optimism that the training would go a long way in building capacity for airline operators to develop Emissions Monitoring Plans and effectively report on their carbon emissions.

“To enable aviation to be an even bigger driver of prosperity across the continent, we must work with governments to improve competitiveness, develop effective infrastructure, modernize the regulatory framework with a focus on global standards, and ensure a well -trained and diverse workforce”, he added.

The CAA Director Safety, Security and Economic Regulation (Designate), Eng. Ronny Barongo said that environmental protection was critical and ICAO had been working on standards related to aircraft noise. He added that, ICAO was gradually expanding to other areas such as local air quality and more recently climate change. He noted that airlines and states also needed to co-operate on programmes for environmental sustainability.

The training was conducted by facilitators from Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Winstone Gicheru and Mwangi Francis, who are focal point aviation experts on CORSIA.

In Africa, Uganda joins Botswana, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia in signing up to CORSIA.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) handed over site to IBB International Ltd, the project contractor for construction of a new Security Search Park at Entebbe International Airport on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

CAA’s Managing Director, Dr. David Kakuba, handed over the site to IBB International Ltd.’s team comprising of Mr. Emmanuel Byaruhanga and CEO, Mr. Don Mubiri, among others.  He urged the contractor to strictly adhere to the timelines stipulated in the contract.

Speaking on behalf of the Contractor, Mr. Byaruhanga thanked CAA for the working relationship and pledged IBB International Ltd’s “Commitment to deliver the Project” in line with the expectations.

The project, expected to be undertaken in six months from November 1,

2018 is to comprise of two additional road lanes on top of the current two lanes to the airport to make a total of four lanes covering an area of about 450 metres. It will be a covered area with appropriate shelter for the security search team, motorists and people entering the Airport.

The project site is located between Protea Hotel and the CAA Head office on the road to Entebbe International Airport. On completion of the project, the Security Search point at the Airport gate used by Aviation Police will be relocated to the new site.

The move is expected to enhance efficiency and service provision as the four lanes will decongest the area and enable faster movement of traffic into the airport.

In order to further enhance awareness of stakeholders’ responsibilities in the unfortunate event of an emergency involving aircraft, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) convened search and rescue sensitization workshops in the districts of Soroti and Kaabong on October 2 and 4, 2018, respectively.

The workshops were aimed at sensitizing and promoting successful coordination between CAA, local authorities and other agencies. Participants were also reminded of the need to take care of individual safety precautions.

The workshops’ facilitators included the CAA Air Traffic Management (ATM) expert, Mr. David Clay Amone, ATM Supervisor, Mr. Francis Malinga, and Senior ATM Officer, Mr. David Mwitabangoma, who presented an over view on search and rescue, rescue planning and operations and the Uganda aeronautical and maritime search and rescue plan, among others.

Search and Rescue refers to the search for and provision of aid to people in distress or imminent danger in case of a calamity.

Stakeholders raised a number of issues and recommendations for CAA to consider in enhancement of safety. There was also a proposal to consider extending aviation week celebrations to upcountry aerodromes to enable the wider public to appreciate progress made in the aviation industry in Uganda.

The Aviation week is annually observed between 1^st and 7^th December, of every year by the global aviation community. It is celebrated in memory of meetings that led to the signing of the famous Chicago Convention, which was signed on 7 December, 1944 resulting in the establishment of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The purpose of the annual celebration is to establish and reinforce awareness of the importance of international civil aviation in the social and economic development of States and the role of ICAO in promoting the safe and orderly development of International Civil Aviation throughout the world.

The district leadership appreciated CAA’s efforts and urged Management to continue encouraging the public to use domestic flights in order to enhance tourism promotion. The local leaders also emphasized the need to have coordinated activities and team work during search and rescue missions.

Soroti’s Resident District Commissioner, Hajji Isaac Kawooya, officially opened the workshop in Soroti and acknowledged the importance of involving the local populace in search and rescue missions to strengthen the response capabilities within the region.

The Commandant of Soroti’s Airbase, Col. Chris Kasaija reminded participants that search and rescue was a joint and “humanitarian effort”.

In Kaabong, the Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Longiro Peter Ngorok appreciated CAA’s regional sensitization efforts.

“It is always good to prepare for the unexpected and with the skills acquired we shall be in position to act in case of any emergency,” he said.