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What you need to know:

• The system was specifically designed for Ugandan citizens, according to government.

In an effort to increase efficiency and security, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration control (DCIC) has announced that all Ugandans arriving from abroad have the option to utilize the self-clearance gates at Entebbe International Airport.

The new e-gates at the airport will speed up passport control by allowing passengers to scan their own passports. It uses facial recognition to verify identity and captures the travelers’ images.

Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson Simon Mundeyi Wednesday told Monitor that people flying into Uganda will be required to provide fingerprints and undergo facial scanning for authentication and verification of the data on the passport chip. “We encouraged Ugandans to adopt this technology since it’s efficient, saves time and minimizes errors. The e-gate machines at the airport have advanced technology which is tailored specifically to expedite the clearance process,” Mundeyi observed.

“We are many stations at the airport and they are only for Ugandans arriving back home with the new electronic passports which contain a chip, which is readable by the machines,” he added.

But Mundeyi expressed concern that the gates are underutilized as Ugandans prefer interacting with people rather than machines even as machines are available at multiple points, but visibly left unused as people queue at immigration officer points.

“It’s essential to emphasize that this system was specifically designed for Ugandan citizens,” he said.

Last year, government announced the upgrade of paper-based e-passport to polycarbonate e-passports designed with strong anti-fraud features, making them suitable for use at the new electronic gates at the airport for self-clearance, automated boarding pass issuance, and quick passenger processing around the world.

According to immigration, as per last week, they had issued out only 1,346,560 passports -both paper based and polycarbonate– from the time they phased out EA passports in 2018, noting that over 43 million Ugandans don’t have passports.

Despite significant government investment in passport technology, Mundeyi said the anticipated surge has not yielded.

“Many Ugandans only apply for passports when they have a specific reason, such as travel or employment abroad,” he told Monitor.

“As the passport office, we would feel glad to have many Ugandans apply for passports. Therefore, we put in place a new system because we anticipated 3,000 passport applications per day but to our surprise, the number has reduced to less than 1,000 applicants per day,” he said.

According to Internal Affairs ministry, express passport applications are now disposed of in two days with applicants receiving their passports while for ordinary applicants get their passports in 10 working days.

“If you apply for an express passport, you will be given an appointment in the next 30 minutes. I therefore call upon Ugandans to desist from using brokers to apply for passports because there is no reason to do this when the system is as efficient as it can be,” Mundeyi said.

How the e-gate works

1. Touch the screen

2. ⁠ Place your passport and scan it and hold it until the machine tells you to remove the passport

3. You identify if the scanned passport and the person in the system as identified is yourself by touching yes

4. ⁠ You select the flight used and the element of returning citizen

5. You proceed to look into the camera which is above the screen so that the system can match your facial features with the record in the ABC

6. ⁠ Finally, it will issue you a ticket that you will proceeded to use at the e-gates. The gates open by scanning the barcode on the ticket and looking straight into the camera for face capture.

Adopted from: The Daily Monitor Wednesday February 14, 2024

Uganda’s aviation sector stands poised for a significant upgrade as the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) announced that the expanded apron at Entebbe International Airport will soon be capable of accommodating up to 100 parked aircraft. This development marks a significant stride in the nation’s aviation infrastructure, poised to bolster its position on the global aviation map.

Entebbe Airport’s Expansion

Entebbe International Airport, Uganda’s primary gateway to the outside world, is currently undergoing a comprehensive upgrade and expansion. The project, led by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), includes the construction of a new terminal building and the expansion of aprons. The new terminal is scheduled for completion by July 2024.

The expanded apron, as announced by the UCAA, is part of this larger project and its impending readiness is a key milestone in this expansive initiative. The ability to accommodate up to 100 parked aircraft will significantly increase the airport’s capacity and efficiency, paving the way for enhanced connectivity and a potential boost in tourism.

Additional Developments at Entebbe

In addition to the apron expansion, the airport will also see the completion of a new cargo center, and the resurfacing of runways and associated taxiways. These improvements are a part of a concerted effort to modernize Uganda’s aviation infrastructure and align it with international standards.

Implications for Uganda

The overhaul of Entebbe International Airport plays a crucial role in Uganda’s economic development strategy. By enhancing its aviation infrastructure, the country is not only improving its connectivity but also signaling its readiness to attract global business and tourism. With the airport’s capacity significantly increased, it is also expected to boost local employment and stimulate ancillary industries.

Adopted from: BNN Breaking New January 14, 2024

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

What you need to know:

• All mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that delegates are smoothly welcomed into the country and as well seen off at ease.
• During the UCAA’s stakeholder meeting in Kampala on December 4, the UCAA executive director, Mr Fred Bamwesigye, said they are ready to accommodate 70 aircraft, should each of the expected head of state come with theirs, depending on the type.

Adopted from: The Daily Monitor Wednesday January 10, 2024

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Seniors Golf Association (USGA) has been handed a sh15 million boost by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority ahead of the Seniors Open set for December 2-3.

“Our partnership with CAA has been on for many years and we are glad that it coincides with their Aviation Week, celebrated annually between 1-7 of December, ” said Charles Katarikawe, Chairman of USGA Tuesday at host venue UGC, Kitante in Kampala.

“CAA is our major sponsor for this tournament, having increased their package from sh8m to 15m, and we are happy we are now able to revert to two-days of play as originally conceived,” he added.

It is the last golf tournament in the year 2023 for the seniors who have organized other tournaments in the other regions of Uganda, North, East and Central. They will visit Western region in March.

“We at UCAA take this tournament seriously since many golfers are our clients and are frequent flyers,” Vianney Luggya the Public Affairs manager at UCAA said.

“This event consides with with Aviation week. We usually have various activities to celebrate this week with a stakeholders breakfast and the annual Cyril Rwabushenyi Memorial Chess tournament.”

The mode of play is Medal, and their will be various prizes, including Seniors platinum 80+years; Gold 70-79; Silver 65-69; Bronze 55-64; Seniors Ladies

The tournament co sponsors are Crown Beverages – Pepsi and Aquafina,  Uganda Safari Trackers, Fairway Hotel and Nation Media Group.

Adopted from: The Independent November 29, 2023

Uganda is seeking to upgrade a series of up-country airstrips to handle international flights, as well as boosting tourism to the country’s national parks.

International air passengers will be able to fly direct to several of Uganda’s national parks and protected areas, if a government scheme comes to fruition.

Up-country airfields at Kasese, Kidepo, Pakuba and Kisoro are planned to receive an upgrade to international standards that will allow travellers to fly in to nearby attractions. The project will allow passengers to avoid travelling via the country’s busy Entebbe International Airport, near the capital, Kampala, then having to transfer, either by light aircraft or surface transport, to resort areas.

According to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Kasese airfield, together with another at Arua, are slated for development to category 4C airports that would allow them to handle aircraft of the size of a Boeing 737–500.

The -500 was the smallest of the second-generation models of the Boeing twin jet and typically can carry a maximum of around 130 passengers in an all-economy cabin configuration – perhaps 100-110 in a two-class layout.

However, this is also the size category for the new ranges of ‘crossover’ jets such as the Embraer 190 and Airbus 220 that span the gap between regional turboprops and mainline narrowbodies like the Airbus A320 and larger members of the Boeing 737 family. These are becoming increasingly popular with airlines in Africa.

The CAA told African Aerospace that master plan and preliminary engineering designs for airfields at Arua and Gulu have been completed. These provide for a paved runway of 3,200m x 60m for Arua in place of the existing gravel strip, plus new terminal complex and cargo centre costing around $53 million.

Gulu, meanwhile, will see a major expansion, including the construction of a new 3,100m x 60m runway, as well as a new passenger terminal, taxiways, apron, cargo complex, control tower and fire station. The first phase of this project is estimated to cost $56 million.

Kasese will have its existing 1,500m grass runway replaced by a paved runway 2,500m x 45m. Like Gulu, it will undergo a transformation, with a new passenger terminal complex, together with cargo and fuel facilities and a new taxiway system. Cost for the first phase of the project will be $57 million.

Smaller-scale improvements will take place at eight other airstrips – Pakuba, Kisoro, Kidepo, Jinja, Tororo, Moroto, Soroti and Mbarara. The value of the works there range from $7m to $350,000 and include such improvements as runway repairs, improvements or extensions, perimeter fencing and, in the case of Pakuba, a new passenger terminal.

Like Kasese, Kidepo, Pakuba and Kisoro will be given tarmacked runways and provided with immigration facilities, allowing international flights to fly there directly and give tourists access to nearby national parks.

Uganda’s minister of tourism, wildlife and antiquities, Tom Butime, announced the upgrades earlier this year at the Uganda Tourism Board’s “Pearl of Africa” tourism expo.

Previously, the only airstrips at Kasese, Kidepo, PakubaandKisoro National Parks were bush airstrips, which meant that visitors had to enter Uganda via Entebbe and then find alternative transportation such as a Cessna Caravan light aircraft or to travel by road to visit the locations.

The upgraded airstrips will not only be able to handle much larger aircraft, but also executive jets, allowing wealthy visitors to fly in with friends or family. Tourism is a significant revenue-earner for Uganda and accounted for around 7% of the country’s GDP last year.

Uganda received slightly more than 800,000 foreign tourists last year, a 59% increase over 2021’s figures, but still significantly below pre-pandemic levels of almost 1.5 million. Tourism brought in $712 million, accounting for around 12% of total exports.

It is in the light of increasing this valuable trade that the airfield improvements can be seen.

Adopted from: The Times Aerospace November 17, 2023

Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on Thursday conducted a full-scale exercise to test the staff’s readiness to respond to a bomb threat at Entebbe International Airport.

The exercise simulated a situation involving flight No. AF 347, with 40 passengers and three crew members on board. The flight notified Air Traffic Control of a bomb threat note discovered by a member of the crew in the aircraft lavatories, as the aircraft was taxiing for take-off.

Airline operators, ground handling agents, joint security operatives, United Nations, UCAA staff, health personnel, and other government agencies, were notified and involved in accordance with a contingency plan.  A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was also issued to operators of commercial flights in and out of Entebbe alerting them about the exercise from 2:00-4:00 pm.

The exercise was last conducted in November 2019.

Addressing journalists at the close of the exercise, UCAA Director General Fred Bamwesigye said the exercise is a requirement for all International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) member countries to test readiness to respond in case of a real incident.

Bamwesigye also said that apart from testing readiness, it also acted as a learning exercise where a post-exercise evaluation would look at the gaps for all affected staff to improve their performance.

Last month the ICAO evaluation team visited Uganda and concluded an audit in which the country’s aviation system was scored at 72.17%, indicating overall improvement in safety, according to the government.  The mark was above the African average of 55.66% and the global average of 67.68%.

Adopted from: The Independent October 27, 2023