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The 6^th Africa and Indian Ocean (AFI) Aviation Week events, hosted by the Republic of ​Uganda under the auspices of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority at Speke Resort Munyonyo, will bring together Directors General of Civil Aviation Authorities, aviation safety and security representatives, experts of AFI Region Member States, and other representatives and experts from international and regional organizations. The air transport industry will also be well represented there by airline and airport operators, air navigation service providers, and Approved Training Organisations.

The main objective of the 2019 AFI week events is to engage all of these participants on current challenges, and to suggest solutions or mitigation measures to address them.

​Participants will seek to identify opportunities to improve the effective implementation of critical elements of the State safety and security oversight systems, and deliberate on emerging issues with special focus on safety and security concerns.​

​The AFI week event comprises several important meetings including:

​The events will also provide an opportunity to highlight the benefits of aviation as an enabler to economic development, promote development of National Aviation Plans, raise awareness on air connectivity in Africa through the Single African Transport Market, and present the results of the Infrastructure Development Gap Analysis in Africa.​

CAA Air Traffic Controllers, Gloria Namazzi (left) and Abeko Miriam (right) communicate to Pilots in the Control Tower on Women’s day.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Entebbe International Airport’s Control Tower, Approach Radar and Area Control Center are to be manned by an all-female air traffic controller’s team on March 8, 2019 during the morning shift.

The highly trained and vibrant ladies are dedicating their efforts on International Women’s day to showcase the strides made in empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of science, technology and engineering.

Civil Aviation Authority Uganda, has over the years trained and encouraged a number of female staff in the above areas of professionalism, capacity and dedication and have become some of our national and international experts in various fields of air navigation and civil aviation.

This year’s International Women’s day theme, “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change” is in tandem with the important role women play in the different fields of air navigation and civil aviation in ensuring safety and efficiency to flights in the air and on ground. The importance of air traffic control in safety of air operations is paramount.

The advice and instructions experts issue to pilots enables them to avoid collision and ensures expeditious and orderly flow of aircraft in the airspace. This supplements pilots’ situational awareness by alerting them of the many dangers in the airspace including bad weather, other aircraft, high terrain and obstructions on the ground.

The female Air navigation experts in various fields that CAA Uganda is celebrating on Women’s Day are unsung behind-the-scene heroes that have over the years done everything in their means to ensure that passengers and cargo are safely and efficiently delivered to their destinations.

One of the main goals of an Air Traffic Controller is to promote Safety, Efficiency and Regularity in International Air Navigation and to assist and advise in the development of the safe and orderly systems of air traffic control.

In execution of duties, Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) face enormous challenges. The role of ATC has simply been described as converting traffic demand into traffic flow to avoid possible delay. Clearance issued by air traffic controllers is for the safety of flight, which should not be compromised.

A controller must think quickly without any possibility of stalling. All instructions are recorded continuously on tape and any instructional error is traceable by replay, a necessary requirement that no other professional has to contend with. The margin for error is zero and this gives the controller responsibility to scrutinize situations constantly and operate with pin point accuracy.

Our female controllers have been very proficient on that and we at CAA are very proud of them.

Historically, the aviation industry has registered fewer women and their entry dates as far back as the World War II, when they entered the ranks as air traffic controllers and aircraft communicators to replace men who joined the war effort.

The team on duty comprises; Abeko Miriam Agwou, Acipa Annabel, Esther Nanyonga, Eva Luyiga, Gloria Namazzi, Leah Nakasaawe, Prossie Zalwango Judith Etwau and Tabitha Nyafono.

You are our heroes and we celebrate you and all the women in the world on this International Women’s day.

Fred K. Bamwesigye

Ag. MANAGING DIRECTOR

CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY

The CAA Manager Safety Management Systems and Quality Assurance, Mr. David Matovu  (Third left, middle row) with aviation experts who undertook the training at Hotel Africana, Kampala.

Heightened safety awareness and skills will be crucial in the management of Safety management systems for all Aviation operational staff, the CAA Manager Safety Management Systems and Quality Assurance, Mr. David Matovu declared during a one week training of twenty five CAA, Directorate of Air Navigation Services Staff at Hotel Africana from February 4 – 8, 2019.

Mr. Matovu also took time to recognize the significance of the Aviation Safety Management course which was implemented in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 19, ICAO Safety Management Systems (SMS) Manual and CAA Air Navigation Services SMS Regulations. He urged participants to embrace the basics learnt from the course and make use of the knowledge while on the job.

“We must embrace these transformations and prepare for them through the implementation of the different safety management frameworks and regulatory infrastructure to keep our sector vital, efficient, and fully responsive to the needs and expectations of the aviation industry,” he highlighted.

The course was facilitated by International Air Transport Association (IATA) in conjunction with Aviation Training Academy (ATA) of South Africa. The course widened participants understanding on safety management fundamentals, the importance of system description and gap analysis, safety communication, safety risk management and creating a basic SMS implementation plan among others.

During the closing ceremony, the CAA Principal Human Resource Officer, Mr. Gilbert Obwor who represented the Director Human Resource and Administration, stressed that it was imperative to focus on the role that safety awareness plays in keeping aviation hazards at bay. He highlighted that air transport today is “on the brink of some major transformations and this course would not have happened at a better time.”

Mr. Obwor also underscored that adherence to ICAO’s Global plans keeps Uganda at pace with innovations in the air transport sector and stressed that “the role of aligning Safety Management requirements in ICAO Annex 19 including the relationship between the State Safety Program and a Service provider SMS cannot be over emphasized.”

He extended gratitude to the facilitators and encouraged participants to implement the lessons learnt in their day to day work.