arly next year, the government shall install two new Distance Measuring Equipment at Entebbe Airport to further help pilots navigate and land safely, Justice (rtd) Steven Kavuma, the board chairperson of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), has revealed.
“As a sign of commitment to improve safety in air traffic management, UCAA is in the process of upgrading the Very High Frequency (VHF) Extended Radio Network and it will handle installations in Entebbe, Soroti, Gulu, Masindi and Kasese in order to further improve reliability and coverage of communication between pilots and controllers,” he said.
He said this during the celebrations by the Uganda Air Traffic Controllers Association (UGATCA) to mark 100 years of the profession, held at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Friday.
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- Justice Kavuma hailed air traffic controllers for the great job they play in ensuring the safety and efficiency of flights in the air and on the ground.
“The advice and instructions you issue to pilots enable them to avoid collisions and ensure the expeditious and orderly flow of aircraft in the airspace. You are unsung behind-the-scenes heroes that have over the years done everything in your means to ensure passengers and cargo are safely and efficiently flown to their destinations,” said Justice Kavuma.
The Works and Transport Minister, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala urged air traffic controllers in Uganda to make their profession known to members of the public for many to join.
“You are our unsung heroes in air transport but you need to talk about yourselves because people don’t know you. You need to organize some programs on these media houses. That way, you will be able to attract more people to join the profession,” he said.
He further urged air traffic controllers to use their association to seek better working conditions and have their challenges addressed, but of course not through industrial action.
UGATCA president, Mr Tony Kepler Ssenkubuge said over the years, air traffic control has transformed for the better.
“It is my commitment and that of the air traffic control fraternity in Uganda to assure the world that we will continue to work with dedication and commitment to ensure Ugandan airspace is safe, secure and efficient,” he said.
The UCAA Deputy Director General, Olive Birungi Lumonya said they employ 110 air traffic controllers but expressed concern that only 12 of these are female.
She noted that recent global studies indicate that only 20 per cent of countries in the world have a female representation of more than 20 per cent.