ENTEBBE – The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has explained the Entebbe International Airport (EIA) expansion project saying it will help the country to handle at least 3.5 Million passengers up from the current 2 Million.
Mr. Vianney Luggya, the Manager Public Affairs at the now Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, (UCAA) made the remarks at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (ICAPU) 7th CPA Economic Forum at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe.
UCAA partially sponsored the 3 – day event where different intuitions in the country also presented on the recent achievements on record.
“This project is being sponsored by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) as part of a USD 9.5 Million grants to Uganda from the Government of South Korea, for which we are grateful that the works are on course,” he told stakeholders, confirming: “We have finished improving the departure immigration counters.”
He said the upgrade involves improving the airspace management and flight procedure designs for EIA, implemented the Air Traffic Services (ATS) Message Handling System and a computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) and Airport Operational Database (AODB) system.
Other works include improvement of flight procedures efficiency through Air Traffic Management, establishment of a modern terminal operations control center that has already been installed at the airport and a training facility at the CAA Head office.
He said the ATC Radar and airspace management system were recently upgraded, giving it an extended life span of 10 more years.
On infrastructure upgrade, he said a number of projects; especially the internally funded have been completed while others ongoing.
He divulged that the authority has expanded the long term car parking from 240 to 410 parking slots and increased departure immigration counters from 6 to 11 and improved the area ambiance.
Mr. Luggya said the arrivals immigration counters were increased from 14 to 20 to reduce on queues of which one was dedicated to passengers with disabilities.
He said expansion of the passenger terminal building to provide more room for departing passengers is on-going and being undertaken by Seyani Brothers (U) Ltd.
He said a cargo Aircraft Parking Apron stands at 95% complete while a landside and airside access road is over 90% complete.
He said the Authority’s 20 year Master Plan earmarked Kasese, Arua and Gulu Airfields for upgrade to international status.
Work on a passenger terminal and associated taxiways for Arua is on-going and that a new airport, Kabaale International Airport is being developed in Hoima