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by Kenneth Kazibwe

The upcoming aviation expo will help demystify air transport among members of the public but also showcase the latest technology, organisers have said.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday at Entebbe International Airport, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority(UCAA) Director General, Fred Bamwesigye said there are many myths by members of the public about air transport but said these need to rectified.

“Many first-time passengers of air transport always panic at the airport. This is because they have never experienced what happens. The aviation expo is an opportunity to further demystify the seemingly complex industry. This is an attempt to try and get the public to remove the belief and fear that flying is for a few,” Bamwesigye said.

He said whereas flying seems to be a preserve of the rich, it is high time this phobia is dealt with by introducing members of the public to the workings of not only the industry but also the airport.

“During this aviation expo, members of the public will have a chance to enter an aircraft view the cockpit, talk to members of cabin and flight crew to get deeper first-hand knowledge of air transport sector

According to Capt. Aziz Ssentamu, the president of the Uganda Professional Pilots Association, the June 22- 24 expo will allow students and members of the public get information about the happenings in the aviation sector.

“ Government has invested heavily in industry but  the lay person is green about what is happening. We thought it would be important to sensitize public about what happens and in case if you want to join, you know what to do. People are green about the aviation industry and what happens there but this is an opportunity to even get information on how to join aviation,”Capt.Ssentamu said.

He said whereas there are many opportunities in the aviation industry, piloting is what is mostly mentioned but said the expo is another opportunity for everyone, including students to know they can choose various careers in aviation apart from being pilots.

To this, organiser say they have partnered with Ethiopian Airlines, to market the aviation university as an opportunity for members of the public to know how to join the industry, adding that they will invite all operators in the industry to exhibit.

“We also want to create awareness to the public about the evolution of technology in the aviation sector not only in Uganda but world over. This will be an opportunity for everyone to see what is new in the aviation sector.”

According to the president of the Uganda Professional Pilots Association, the aviation expo will be yet another opportunity to lure the private sector to invest in the country’s aviation sector.

“We want to use this expo to open the minds of business personnel on investing in the aviation industry.”

Organisers said the aviation show will also  feature aerobatics by the UPDF Air Force, the Special Forces Command and the Police air wing among others as well as joyrides flying around Kampala.

Previously, Uganda hosted its first ever air show in 2012 as the country celebrated its 50^th independence anniversary whereas there have also been mini airshows at Mbarara and Kajjansi airfields.

The airshow will be held at the Old Entebbe airport

According to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority Director General, the airshow comes at a time when the aviation industry is slowly recovering from the effects of the Covid pandemic.

In April 2023, Entebbe International Airport recorded 127,282 passengers including 62,413 arrivals and 64,870 departures , an average of 4242 per day compared to 122,341 in  the same period in 2022 , an average of 4,078 per day.

Adopted from: The Nile Post May 25, 2923

A bystander for years, Uganda has made its most definitive expression yet, of intent to join the Single African Air Transport market (SAATM). A meeting convened this week to discuss the issue, agreed to establish a multisectoral committee to “consider the matter further.”

The decision came at the end of a multi-stakeholder meeting called by sector regulator Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on April 26, to build internal consensus around the country’s participation in the continental initiative. The proposed committee will be made up of representatives from the core government agencies such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Uganda Tourism Board, and select players from the private sector.

Pitching for SAATM at the meeting, UCAA Deputy Director General, Olive Birungi Lumonya said the proposed liberalization of air services would lift the number of air passengers. “Flying is efficient, quicker, and safer but is not utilized much as the other forms of travel. If this agreement is signed by Uganda, we will be joining the rest of Africa in reducing the cost of travel, and increasing air traffic and business,” she said.

The Wednesday meeting heard candid reasons for the delay, which were attributed to a range of factors including, the competition that the national carrier which was in the process of being revived, would be exposed to under SAATM, the likely impact on aspirations to turn Entebbe into a regional hub and the ability of existing Ugandan air operators to compete effectively with regional airlines which have a stronger financial base, better equipment, with some believed to have been supported with subsidies from their respective governments.

Uganda was also doubtful about the likely benefits accruing from the liberalization of air services amidst the entry restrictions that still exist within the African States. According to a November 2021 IATA Fact Sheet, Uganda was ranked eighth in Africa for visa openness but only 4 percent of the 24 BASA’s reviewed were fully compliant with the Yamoussoukro Decision. Citizens from 18 African countries do require a visa to enter Uganda while those from 34 others can get visas on arrival. But Ugandan citizens face entry restrictions in many African countries, which require them to have entry visas.  

“Initially, Uganda did not sign the Solemn Declaration to join SAATM pending the establishment of mechanisms to give assurance to the revival of Uganda Airlines, which at that time had not commenced operations taking into consideration a highly competitive market resulting from the grant of unrestricted fifth freedom traffic rights to African Airlines,” the meeting was told.

Keen to expand

But with flag carrier Uganda Airlines partially established and keen to expand within Africa as well as parallel initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area slowly gaining traction, Uganda feels it can now participate in SAATM with a reasonable degree of reciprocity of benefits.

According to IATA, Uganda would get an additional 4,920 jobs in aviation and spin-off industries by joining SAATM while another 16.070 jobs would be created through “catalytic impact.”

The economy would gain an additional $102.6 million in GDP, 151,000 extra tourism visits, $69.3 million increase in tourism spending, and 9.290 new tourism jobs.

Uganda’s junior minister for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama said Uganda was ready to join SAATM because it would culminate into a more competitive and better-regulated aviation industry in Uganda and Africa at large. “Government will continue to ensure the country’s air links make her one of the most connected countries in the world to make it compete successfully for economic growth opportunities,” he said.

Adopted from: Air Insight Group April 28, 2023

What you need to know:

• It is an initiative to create a single unified air transport market in Africa to advance the liberalisation of civil aviation in the continent which will, among others,  create a conducive environment for the development of intra-African and international air services.

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) is seeking to sign a new policy that will among others, stimulate the development of air transport in Uganda and the countinent by joining the Single African Air Transport Movement (SAATM).

SAATM, according to their website is a flagship project of the African Union Agenda 2063.

It is an initiative to create a single unified air transport market in Africa to advance the liberalisation of civil aviation in the continent which will, among others,  create a conducive environment for the development of intra-African and international air services.

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This involves developing and providing safe, reliable, affordable air transport services necessary for the free movement of persons, goods and services in and outside Africa .

Ms Olive Birungi Lumonya, UCAA deputy director general, yesterday said if SAATM is signed, it will reduce the cost of air transport.

“Flying is more efficient, faster, and quicker but it is not being utilised as much as possible because of the high cost of travel, so if this agreement is signed by Uganda, she will be joining the rest of the countries. More than 30 countries have already signed this agreement and it is intended to increase traffic and reduce the cost of travel,” Ms Birungi said during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kampala. The meeting discussed the draft National Civil Aviation Policy in Kampala.

Ms Birungi added that the draft policy is being proposed by the African Civil Aviation Commission to encourage states to embrace the  one single transport movement.

She explained the new arrangement, if adopted will reduce costs of air travel within the continent.

Ms Birungi also noted that UCAA recorded a sharp drop in revenues following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020.

Without revealing how much was lost, Ms Birungi said the pandemic affected the authority, due to  global travel restrictions.

She added that the ongoing  Russia-Ukraine war has also affected  the recovery of the sector.

“These eventualities when they happen, often cause losses in the aviation industry. Uganda lost revenue because of this, but we are now on a recovery path, and as of March this year, we have recovered up to 89 percent of the traffic that we had in 2019,” she said.

In 2019, Entebbe International Airport recorded 1,802,107 international travellers, both incoming and outgoing.  Due to Covid-19, the airport handled 545,000 travellers in 2020, 940,000 passengers in 2021 before hitting nearly 1.6 million passengers last year as countries relaxed  measures.

The State Minister for Transport, Mr Fred Byamukama, yesterday said there is a need to cut fares for domestic and regional flights.

“For example, from Kampala to Kisoro is very expensive by air to the extent that someone using their personal car can save some money. We have worked on many technicalities to make travel simple, when this happens, the economy will grow,” he said.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

Adopted from: The Daily Monitor April 27, 2023