Minister lauds Entebbe International Airport works

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The Minister of the State Works, Hon. Gen. Katumba Wamala inspected on-going works for upgrade and expansion of Entebbe International Airport (EIA) with a team from the Joint Transport Sector Review and expressed satisfaction with the progress on Wednesday, 29 August, 2018.

Civil Aviation Authority officials led by the Managing Director, Dr. David Kakuba, guided the minister on a tour of the new departure immigration counters, passenger terminal building expansion works, Terminal Operations Control Center and new Cargo Center. He was also given updates on the progress and timelines.

“Entebbe International airport plays an important role in promoting tourism, trade and leisure travel. This is the best time to say positive things about our country because passenger experience is going to improve significantly with the upgrade of our airport,” Hon. Wamala said.

“This expansion project is at the heart of Government’s National Development Programme, which I believe is in tandem with the CAA 20 year Master Plan. I am particularly pleased to see Government’s commitment to making flying accessible for all through the introduction of the national carrier, which is coming at the right time when the airport is being expanded,” he added.

Dr. David Kakuba, who guided the Minister and his team during the tour said, “Departure Immigration counters have most recently been modified by China Nanjing International Limited to increase their number from six (6) to eleven (11). Two booths with four (4) counters and another booth with three (3) counters to accommodate a total of 11 Immigration Officers have been successfully installed. The queuing space, which was originally 101 square meters is now 209 square meters.”

Earlier on in 2017, the same contractor modified Arrivals Immigration counters and their number was increased from 14 to 20. This has since enhanced efficiency in service provision and drastically reduced on long queues at peak time. In the Arrivals Hall, one of the counters has been specifically dedicated to handling passengers with special needs, crew, business and first class passengers.

“Works for rehabilitation and strengthening of the old runway 12/30 commenced in May 2018 and are expected to be completed by the end of 2018. The works are undertaken by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC), which is also handling the on-going construction of a new 100,000 tones capacity Cargo Centre, “ he said.

He added that 80% of works for the new Cargo Centre’s Aircraft Parking Apron had been accomplished, 35% of works for the Cargo Terminal building are complete, and 90% of works for the landside and Airside Access roads were accomplished. Expansion works for Aircraft Parking Apron 1 are at 70% and extension works for Taxiway Alpha are at 70% level of completion.  Runway 12/30 rehabilitation is at 30%.

Works for modification and expansion of the passenger terminal building are also on-going and are at 30% level of completion. They are being undertaken by Seyani Brothers (U) Ltd.

The visiting team was further informed that phase two of the expansion of the long term car parking was completed earlier on and it involved creation of additional capacity to park 140 cars to increase the total Long Term Car parking capacity from 260 to 410 cars. The work was undertaken by Energo Uganda Co. Ltd.

Air Traffic services management system and Air Traffic Control Radar were upgraded and this led to migration from use of manual to automated electronic strips. It also extended the ATC Radar’s serviceability lifespan by another ten years.

Aeronautical Information Management System at Entebbe International Airport was automated and this has enhanced efficiency through saving time, reduction in costs incurred by air operators and ability for pilots to file flight plans from anywhere using any web enabled device.

Improvement of air navigation services and automation of Entebbe International Airport by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) as part of a USD 9.5 Million grant to Uganda from the Government of South Korea.

The Project involves:-

  • Implementation of Air Traffic Services (ATS) Message Handling System
  • A computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) and Airport Operational Database (AODB) system.
  • Improvement of Flight Procedures efficiency through Air Traffic Management.

The three year project commenced in March 2016 and Uganda has on its part come up with counterpart funding of approximately USD 250,000 (per year) towards Implementation of the project that is expected to be fully delivered by the end of 2018.

A new Terminal Operations Control Centre has already been put in place at Entebbe International Airport and a training facility fully equipped at the CAA Head Office.

The Managing Director hinted on proposals to amend the CAA Act, which were developed and are before Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee awaiting adoption by Parliament. “The proposed amendments are aimed at ensuring harmonization of Uganda’s regulations and practices with the universal practices across the globe. The current Act has been in place since 1991 and while it has ably guided the industry, a number of practices have since changed, which called for an update,” he added.

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CAA, EMC Agree to Share Development Plans

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Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) hosted a team from Entebbe Municipal Council’s Physical Planning Committee on Friday 17th August, 2018 and the two parties agreed to comprehensively share details of on-going and future airport development plans.

In a fruitful meeting held at Entebbe International Airport (EIA), CAA’s Manager Aerodrome Engineering Planning and Development, Eng. Ronald Twesigye briefed the Committee team about the progress of works for Upgrade and Expansion of the airport, which are aimed at improving on efficiency and enhancing service delivery to meet the growing passenger traffic at EIA.

Key among the projects being implemented by CAA is expansion of the current Passenger Terminal Building, construction of a new 100,000 tones Cargo Centre, expansion of the Aircraft Parking Aprons, works on Taxiways, strengthening and rehabilitation of runway 12/30, and relocation of the fuel farm, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, the Town Clerk of Entebbe Municipal Council (EMC), Mr. Charles Magumba encouraged CAA to regularly share its development plans with the Municipal Council to foster better planning for the municipality. He said that while the Council was aware of the expansion of the Passenger Terminal Building, they didn’t have details of the other on-going projects. The Municipal Council received a submission on the drawings of the cargo centre, the assessment was given to CAA, and the process is yet to be completed.

Mr. Magumba urged CAA to submit structural plans of all planned projects to the municipal council so that EMC is part of the airport planning processes.

The Municipal Engineer, Mr. Richard Male Mukasa applauded CAA on the on-going developments.

“Our visit is just to create rapport with CAA as a development partner. We need to know about the status of your projects so that we help you plan better,” he said.

After a tour of the on-going works on the Expansion of the Passenger Terminal Building, the two parties agreed to have regular coordination planning meetings about the current and future projects. Ends

 

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Air Tanzania Resumes Direct Flights to Entebbe

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Air Tanzania, resumed flights in and out of Entebbe International Airport (EIA) On 26th August, 2018, and was welcomed with a water gun salute in a colorful ceremony spiced with traditional entertainment.

The Q400, 76 seater aircraft touched down at Entebbe at 1:10 pm and was received by the Minister of State (Transport), Hon. Aggrey Bagiire, officials from the Tanzania High Commission to Uganda, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)’s Ag Director Airports Aviation Security, Eng. Ayub Sooma, and other hailed industry stakeholders.

The Chief Guest, Hon. Bagiire hailed the decision by Air Tanzania to extend operations to Uganda as timely because of the rapidly growing aviation industry. He noted that this would ensure competitiveness in the region.

“Air transport is a key driver of development and has a big influence on tourism, agriculture and business. I would like to implore the management of Air Tanzania and all industry players to observe with strictness the minimum required standards as we strive to deliver reliable and quality air transport services. The launch of Air Tanzania means a lot to the future development of our two economies in the region,” he said.

The minister said that the Government of Uganda was highly committed and will continue to support and provide an enabling environment for the growth of the aviation industry in Uganda. Government is implementing a number of projects to upgrade and expand infrastructure and facilities at Entebbe International Airport and other aerodromes in the country as well developing a second international airport at Kabaale in Hoima to support the oil and gas sector.

The Tanzanian Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Hon. Isaac Aloyce Kamwelwe who led a delegation from Tanzania said that the resumption of Air Tanzania, services in Uganda will go a long way in meeting the travel demands of citizens in East Africa and will provide customers the ability to customize their travel to their needs.

Speaking on behalf of CAA, Eng Sooma said that the Authority was committed to support initiatives aimed to facilitate travel in and out of Uganda. He said that CAA had put emphasis on ensuring better passenger facilitation through addressing stakeholder needs and expectations for a memorable experience through Entebbe.

Air traffic at Entebbe Airport has recorded a steady passenger growth of 1.62 million international and transit passengers in 2017, up from 118,527 in 1991.  The Airport handled 69,000 metric tones of cargo in 2017 compared to 66,000 metric tons in 1991.

“We are increasingly modernizing facilities at the airport in order to meet future demands of existing and future potential operators as well as users of the facilities so as to enjoy a pleasant and memorable experience at Entebbe airport, ” he said.

The Tanzania national carrier commenced operations with a charge of $363 less for a return ticket and will fly four-times-a week to Entebbe from Dar es Salaam via Kilimanjaro on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The airline has served a variety of domestic, regional and international destinations over the years and operates a fleet of 5 aircraft including a Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner.

Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) is based in Dar es Salaam with its hub at Julius Nyerere International Airport. It was established as Air Tanzania Corporation (ATC) in 1977 after the dissolution of the East African Airways and has been a member of the African Airlines Association since its inception.

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Ugandans Called to Support Uganda Airlines As Entebbe Renovation Nears Completion

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The call was made by State Minister for Works, Gen Katumba Wamala, who noted that the airline will need to a lot of local support to compete favourably in the already liberalized sector.

Wamala said that since the renewal of the national airline was announced, many Ugandans have been sceptical and speaking ill of the project.

“Ugandans have a bad habit of de-campaigning their country. It is a bad habit that must be stopped. If you want your country to be like the other developed countries that you admire and shower with praises, you must support government plans in developing and strengthening the economy.

The minister stressed that Ugandans must not worry about Uganda Airlines being misused by government officials as it will be operated independently as a company and not a government parastatal.

The minister was speaking to journalists at Entebbe airport during the inspection of Entebbe International Airport projects by the Joint Transport Sector Review team on Wednesday 29th August.

The ongoing upgrade and expansion of Entebbe International Airport, which consists of different phases commenced in March 2016.

The $200Million project involves modification of Arrival and Departure Immigration Counters, rehabilitation and strengthening of the old Runway 12/30,  construction of the new 100,000 tones capacity Cargo Center and parking Apron, upgrading landside and airside access roads and many others which are mainly  being undertaken by China Communication construction company (CCCC).

According to the managing director Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) David Mpango Kakuba, most of the projects are progressing normally and will be finished within time although there are delays in some of them.

“80% of works for the new cargo centre’s aircraft apron have been completed, 35% of works for the cargo terminal building are complete, 90% of works for landside and airside access roads have so far been accomplished, expansion works for the aircraft parking runway 1 is at 70% while the Runway 12/30 rehabilitation is at 30%” Kakuba said.

He noted that these works once complete will improve on service delivery to travellers and improve the efficiency of the airport.

“Earlier on in 2017, the China Nanjing International Limited modified arrivals counters and their numbers increased from 14 to 20. Departure counters were increased from 6 to 11. This has since enhanced efficiency in service provision and drastically reduced on long queues at pick and departure time” he said.

 

As part of the bigger project, there is also an ongoing improvement of air navigation services and automation of the airport by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) as part of US$ 9.5m grant Uganda got from South Korea.

This project involves implementation of Air Traffic Services (ATS) message Handling System, a computerized maintenance Management System (CMMS) and Airport Operational Database system and improvement of Flight Procedures Efficiency through Air Traffic Management

 

Adapted from: Chimp Reports on 30th August, 2018

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Health Precautionary Measures in Place at Entebbe International Airport

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Following an outbreak of Ebola in neighboring DRC, Uganda has taken major steps in preventing its possible spread.

“Health authorities at the international entry and exit point at Entebbe International Airport are ensuring that passengers originating from suspected areas and or who exhibit symptoms of the disease are screened and handled in a professional manner”, said Dr. James Eyul, Director Kazuri Medical Services based at the Airport.

An on-spot visit by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Director,  Dr. Redfield and a team from the US Embassy, led by H. E Ambassador Deborah Malac on Sunday 19th August, 2018 confirmed Uganda’s readiness for the challenge.

American Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Deborah Malac (third right) with CAA’s Manager Management Accounting, Mrs. Molly Besigye (centre) and Dr. James Eyul (fourth left) with other embassy officials and staff of CAA at Entebbe International Airport.

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Air Tanzania Commences Flights To Uganda

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By Monica Acan

ENTEBBE

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said it has completed 17 per cent of the ongoing expansion works at Entebbe International Airport, a year after the project was commissioned. The completed works are part of the 20-year National Civil Aviation Master plan to revamp the airport and give it a modern look.

The airport was officially opened in 1951 and government targets to, among others, expand its departure and arrival terminals. Dr David Mpango, the CAA acting managing director, while addressing journalists after the tour of the ongoing works, said the authority has so far spent Shs90b of the Shs721b loan the government acquired from China.

“There has been an overall 17.4 per cent progress on the major cargo centre works with drainage works for the facility at 70 per cent complete, the connecting airside service road is 80per cent complete while the landside access road to the new cargo centre is 70 per cent complete,” he said.
Dr Mpango observed that ongoing projects at the airport include construction of a new cargo centre.

He said: “Cargo traffic at the airport has increased from 6,600 metric tonnes in 1991 to 59,000 at the turn of last year, with projections of estimated growth at 6.5 per year for the next 17 years thus requiring a new 100,000 tonnes capacity cargo centre to accommodate the growth.”

Other works currently being undertaken include modification and expansion of the terminal building. CAA said it hopes to have 930 arriving passengers and 820 departing passengers from the current 410 arriving and 320 departing passengers during peak hours. Dr Mpango said expansion of the long term car park is under phase two of the expansion involving creation of additional capacity to park 360 cars up from 100 cars and is to be completed in May. There is also improvement of air navigation services and automation at the airport as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of South Korea under an extended grant worth $ 9.5m.

Some of the recently completed works at the airport include automation of the aeronautical information management system and modification of the VVIP terminal. A total of 42 police housing units have been completed to relocate the Aviation police from the cargo centre site. On procuring of a national airline, Dr Mpango said although government pronounced its self on the need to restore Uganda airlines, the project would face a delay.

“Arrangements are in advanced stages to flag off the airlines and we hoped that by August, the plane will be in the air but because of logistics, we postponed it to December,” he said.

Published on Monday August 27, 2018 in Chimp Reports

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Traffic growth pushing Entebbe airport expansion

Posted by Shamilah Seyiga In Uncategorized, Media Watch 0 comment

In Summary

  • The expansion: The expansion project follows a study in both the passenger and cargo growth trends at the airport, which showed there has been a steady increase in passenger traffic transiting through the airport, writes Henry Lubega.
  • The government contributes $250,000 (about Shs900m) every year towards the programme as counterpart funding.Under this grant, a service control centre has been equipped and installed at the airport.
  • Increase. On cargo growth, Mr Vianney Luggya, the CAA spokesperson, says the authority recorded 6,600 tonnes of cargo for both import and export in 1991, but by end of 2017 the numbers had grown to 59,000 metric tonnes.
By Henry Lubega

The ongoing expansion works at the Entebbe International Airport are part of the 20-year master plan being carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), running from 2014 to 2033. In the first five years of the project, a number of projects have already been embarked on.
The expansion projects follows a study in both the passenger and cargo growth trends at the airport.
Mr Vianney Luggya, the authority’s spokesperson, says there has been a steady increase in passenger traffic transiting through the airport, necessitating the expansion of the airport facilities.

“Last year (2017), we had 1.6m international passengers compared to 118,000 in 1991 when CAA was established, and we are expecting these numbers to grow further according to our master plan,” Mr Luggya says.
On cargo growth, he says in the year of the authority’s inception, it recorded 6,600 tonnes of cargo for both import and export, but by end of 2017, the numbers had grown to 59,000 metric tonnes.
“As a result, it was deemed prudent that we expand our services and facilities at the airport so that they can match with the growth trends and demand,” he says.

Internally funded projects
CAA conceived a number of expansion projects to be worked on during the designated period, some of which are funded by CAA’s internally-generated funds, while others are externally funded. According to Mr Luggya, the internally funded projects are mostly focusing on decreasing congestion at the airport.
“At peak hours between noon and 3pm there is some congestion at both departure and arrival halls. Under the internally funded projects, we are increasing the counters in both halls. In the arrival hall, we have modified and increased the counters to 20 from 14. This will not only improve service delivery, but also shorten the passenger processing time. In the hall, we have dedicated one counter to passengers with special needs such as pregnant women, children, crew, and people with challenges.”
The departure hall will also see the number of counters increased to 11 from the current six. The work of improving the departure and arrival halls is being carried out by Chinese company Nanjing. “With increased counters, there will be improved quality service delivery,” says Luggya.
The modification and expansion of the passenger terminal building is being carried out by Seyana Brothers Uganda Limited at a cost of Shs42b. Funding for this work has been provided by CAA from its internally-generated funds.
Once completed, the driveway to the departure will be reinstated, allowing travelling passengers to be dropped at the departure terminal.

Besides the ongoing Seyani Brothers’ project, there has been the completion of the expansion of the airport’s long term parking space. “We have increased the parking space to cater for 410 from 260 cars,” Mr Luggya says.
There are other projects that have been carried out to improve service delivery at the airport but not visible to the travelling public. Such projects include the automation of the aeronautical information management systems at the airport. The system enables pilots to file their flight plans with airport control ahead of their flights.
“This enhances efficiency and reduces costs on the side of the air operators and ensures faster communication,” says Mr Luggya.
Another improvement is the upgrading of the air control radar, integrating it with modern technologies to enhance efficiency and quality service delivery.

Externally funded projects
There are two models for the externally funded projects that are ongoing at the Entebbe airport. One is a grant from the Government of Korea of $9.5m (Shs34.8b) for the automation of systems at the airport. The three-year project commenced in 2016 and it is not a cash grant, but in form of equipment worth $9.5m for the airport’s automation.
The government contributes $250,000 (about Shs900m) every year towards the programme as counterpart funding.Under this grant, a service control centre has been equipped and installed at the airport.
“The centre will improve air navigation services, and also under the same grant, we shall get a computerised management system, which will enable our technicians to detect any fault at the airport with a click of a mouse other than having to look for them manually,” Mr Luggya says.

The mega project
Of all the projects going on at the airport, the biggest is the $200m (Shs734b) five-year project being implemented by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).
Funded by a Chinese Exim Bank loan, the project has different components, including the construction of a new cargo terminal, access roads to the new cargo terminal, a new taxiway for the cargo planes and their aprons, extension of the current airplane parking spaces, strengthening the existing runway, among others.
The first phase of this project, which commenced in 2016, is the construction of the new cargo centre.
“Once completed, it will provide capacity for 100,000 metric tonnes but with a possibility of adjusting it to take up to 150,000 metric tonnes if the need arises compared to the current centre, which has a capacity of 69,000 metric tonnes,” Mr Luggya says.
The centre, which is away from the main terminal, will have its own plane parking aprons and taxiway.

Mr Luggya adds: “Because it’s being built away from the main airport, we are putting up new access roads as well and 80 per cent of the roads are completed.”
The cargo terminal, airplane apron and the access roads, are all at different levels of completion.
However, much of the work on the cargo terminal building is being done off site. It is more of a prefabricated building.
For the taxiway, which Mr Luggya says is named Taxiway Alpha, 32 per cent of the work has been completed.
Everything to do with the new cargo terminal will be completed by the end of this year.
Besides the cargo centre, works are ongoing for the expansion of the passenger plane apron to provide more 11 plane parking spaces.
Once the cargo centre is competed at the end of the year, the old one will be brought down and in its place the same contractor, (CCCC), will commence the construction of a new passenger terminal.

New feel
“When the first phase is competed in 2021, travellers through Entebbe airport should expect ambient service and facilities. User comfort is what we are focusing on in our expansion plan,” Mr Luggya says.
On completion in 2021, the new passenger terminal will have the capacity to handle 3.5m passengers a year, compared to the current with two million.
“For us as air travel regulators, we are focusing on the expected growth in passenger numbers that is likely to come with the revival of the national airline. What we are putting in place is to attract more international airlines of repute,” Mr Luggya says.
The $200m loan from China is to be repaid in 20 years.
“There shouldn’t be any worry on the payments, the benefits accruing from this loan are immense for the country and the people at large.”

Adopted from:lThe Saturday Monitor (11th August, 2018)

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Entebbe traffic hit 1.53 million passengers in 2017, up 8.1% versus 2016; Jambojet newest airline while Heathrow is leading unserved route

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Entebbe Airport welcomed the arrival of Jambojet’s inaugural service from Nairobi on 15 February, with the Ugandan airport greeting the airline’s first flight with a water arch salute. The carrier presently operates the 520-kilometre route twice-daily using its fleet of Q400s. Last year Entebbe handled 1.53 million passengers, up 8.1% versus 2016.

Entebbe Airport lies 47 kilometres south of Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, and serves as the international gateway to the African nation. Kampala is home to a population of over 1.5 million people. A few years ago it was named as one of the fastest-growing cities in the world by World Mayor, a website that makes its assumptions based on past growth/decline and forecasts by international and national statistics organisations. It states that between 2006 and 2020, Kampala will see its population grow at an average of just over 4%, so it is not surprising  to see that growth is on the agenda for Entebbe Airport.

Traffic goes beyond one and a half million

Last year Entebbe handled 1.53 million passengers, up 8.1% versus 2016 and the first time ever that the airport has handled over one and a half million passengers. The African airport grew past one million passengers for the first time in 2010 according to data obtained from the Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda. Of the airport’s total traffic last year, 99% flew on international services, with only 18,824 domestic passengers using the terminal in 2017. The only airlines offering domestic services from Entebbe are Eagle Air and Aerolink Uganda.

Entebbe Airport

Source: Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda.

When placing Entebbe’s monthly passenger statistics for 2017 into anna.aero’s Seasonal Variation In Demand (SVID) calculator, the airport does well, generating a score of 1.07 – an ‘Excellent’ rating. The busiest month for the airport last year was December, with 147,590 passengers travelling through the terminal, while the quietest month was February with 107,174 passengers. OAG data indicates that the number of seats departing Entebbe this summer is up 20% versus S17, with over 866,000 one-way seats being provided.

Ethiopian Airlines tops carrier table

OAG schedules show that Ethiopian Airlines is the largest operator at Entebbe, offering just under 140,000 departing seats from the Ugandan airport this summer. However, it should be noted that 13,000 of these seats are made up of the airline’s tag-on connection from Addis Ababa to Goma which operates via Entebbe, with the Star Alliance member not having traffic rights between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo according to the airline’s booking engine. Along with Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines also flies from Entebbe to Juba in South Sudan, a route for which it does have traffic rights, and operates daily this summer using Q400s. One airline which is new to the top 10 is Jambojet (highlighted in light green), with the Kenyan low-cost airline having begun flights to Entebbe from Nairobi on 15 February. It presently offers a twice-daily Q400-operated service between the two African airports.

Entebbe Airport

Source: OAG Schedules Analyser data.

Entebbe is a prime example of how multiple carrier’s use triangular services to serve more than one African city per aircraft rotation from its home base. For example Kenya Airways uses the airport as a stop on some of its weekly rotations to Bangui in the Central African Republic, flydubai travels via Entebbe between Dubai and Kinshasa, plus Qatar Airways’ daily 787-8 route from Doha returns to its hub via Kigali in Rwanda. Similar to Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines also operates Entebbe and Kigali services on the same aircraft rotation, however it offers a non-stop service to Istanbul Atatürk on its departure from Entebbe, with Kigali being the first stop on the outbound rotation from its Turkish hub. One airline has left the Entebbe market since last summer, with Etihad Airways having ended it four times weekly service from Abu Dhabi on 23 March.

Heathrow tops most wanted list

With Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Rwandair, flydubai, Emirates and KLM being among the leading airlines, it is no surprise to see that the routes to these carriers’ hubs top the table when it comes to Entebbe’s leading destinations. anna.aero decided to see which airports are the top unserved markets from Uganda’s fast-growing international hub. Topping the unserved route rankings is London Heathrow, with an estimated 59,500 passengers (81 PDEW) travelling between Entebbe and Europe’s largest airport in 2017. The leading airlines for traffic on the route last year were Emirates and Brussels Airlines, with both capturing 20% of the market. Kenya Airways was third, capturing 19% of passengers via Nairobi. It should be noted that Mumbai is the second top unserved market, with RwandAir offering its route from Kigali to Mumbai via the Ugandan airport, despite it not having traffic rights from Entebbe to the Indian city. It should also be noted that Khartoum, the third largest unserved destination, is presently listed as a destination in OAG with Tarco Airways, however when looking at the airline’s booking engine, the route will start on 25 August, operating via Juba. Along with Khartoum, a further four destinations in the top 10 (highlighted in light green) are in Africa.

Entebbe Airport

Source: OAG Traffic Analyser data. *RwandAir operates with no traffic rights. **Planned from 25 August with Tarco Airways, operating one-stop via Juba in South Sudan.

Outside of the top 10, three more destinations saw over 10,000 indirect passengers last year, namely London Gatwick, Bujumbura and Shanghai Pudong. Looking ahead, the only new destinations presently planned to join Entebbe’s departures board are Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro, with Air Tanzania planning a Dar es Salaam – Kilimanjaro – Entebbe rotation from 26 August, with the carrier returning to the Ugandan airport after a nine-year hiatus.

Entebbe Airport

Following in the footsteps of Jambojet, the next new airline planning to launch flights to Entebbe is Air Tanzania, with it scheduled to operate a Dar es Salaam – Kilimanjaro – Entebbe rotation from 26 August. While Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro will be new destinations for 2018, MIDT data shows that London Heathrow is the more desired destination, with nearly 60,000 passengers travelling indirectly between the UK airport and Entebbe in 2017.

Adopted from: https://www.anna.aero/2018/08/10/entebbe-traffic-hit-1-53-million-passengers-in-2017-up-8-1-versus-2016-jambojet-newest-airline-while-heathrow-is-leading-unserved-route/

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Licensing of air services is a must

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Reference is made to an article titled ‘CAA to vet Uganda Airlines next week’ in the Daily Monitor of July 20 which subsequently attracted debate in various circles. I would like to clarify on the process for Air Services Licensing in light of the connotation that the story headline may have insinuated.

It is a regulatory requirement that any air operator intending to commence commercial operations (domestic or international) has to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), for an operating license known as an Air Services License (ASL). This is a prerequisite for engagement in air operations and has not been uniquely applied to Uganda Airlines, but to all new applicants for provision of air services or those seeking renewal of licenses.

It is normal and standard industry practice that the applications are received by CAA in advance, evaluated and thereafter considered by the CAA Board Air Services Licensing Committee in a public forum. This particular session is this time scheduled for Thursday, August 23, 2018 at Imperial Royale Hotel starting at 11am. The licensing committee will not only consider Uganda Airlines’ application, but other new applicants, including Kush Air Uganda Ltd, Africana International Air Services Ltd and Ugawings Aviation Ltd. At the same hearing, Kampala Aero Club and Flight Training Centre and Kampala Executive Aviation will be seeking renewal of their ASL.

Every applicant at such a public hearing is expected to clarify on issues to do with their business plan, proposed air routes, and equipment to be used, among others. For transparency purposes, ASL regulations require that a notice of all the applicants to be considered (new or renewal), is placed in the print media 30 days prior to the date of consideration of the applications by the Board Air Services Licensing Committee meeting.

This provides the public an opportunity to provide any relevant information to the licensing committee and it is not a new practice, but one that has been exercised since CAA assumed the responsibility of regulating air transport services in Uganda. It is a global practice that is not unique to Uganda. The last such meeting was held on March 7, 2018 and it similarly considered several new applications plus others seeking renewal.
It ought to be noted that this mandatory process is only an enabler or facilitating process for an airline to be permitted to fly from within and out of the country. It is independent of other individual airline’s plans such as purchase of aircraft. It is a routine regulatory activity.

Vianney M. Luggya, Civil Aviation Authority
vluggya@caa.co.ug,
Twitter: @vluggya

Adopted from: The Daily Monitor (Friday, 27th July, 2018)

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