The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority is waiting for the presidential directive to start handling international commercial flights at Entebbe airport following a five months lockdown over the global pandemic-COVID 19. The government closed the Airport around March 2020 to prevent passenger flights coming from outside the country from landing at the airport as a measures of containing the coronavirus outbreak. Only cargo and UN aircraft were allowed to fly in and out of Uganda.
Thirteen airlines have been cleared for operational flights, starting 1st October 2020 and these include Uganda Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air Tanzania, Ethiopian Airlines, Fly Dubai, Rwanda Air, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Brussels Airlines and Tarco Aviation.
In a letter dated September 8th 2020 and signed by the UCAA Director for Airports and Aviation security Eng. Sooma Ayub, thirteen (13) airlines have been cleared to start operations at Entebbe Airport for the first day while ten (10) airlines have been confirmed for the second day.
The reopening of the airport will see a number of flights increasing gradually in the first phase of three months with standard operating procedures put in place including social distancing, temperature guns, and ultra modern scans which detect temperature at a distance of 30 meters. These will be installed in the waiting lounges and rooms of Very Important Persons (VIPs) and glass shields to minimize contact between the passengers and airport staff. Also being installed are wash hand taps to be located at different points around the airport.
The airport authorities have already erected tents for health screening of incoming passengers while designated tents have also been erected for people with symptoms.
The airport authorities have taken on standard operating procedures from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Airports Council International, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Africa Civil Aviation Commission and the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency.
President Yoweri Museveni directed the closure of Entebbe Airport and other entry points into and outside the country. The directive was initially for 32 days but has since been extended indefinitely after several extensions of the lockdown.
But as the re-opening gets closer, passengers will have to arrive at least four hours before their flight on addition to following health ministry guidelines including going through health check points, wearing face masks at all times, maintaining social distance, washing hands and using sanitisers will be mandatory. Passengers with any symptoms of coronavirus will be blocked from accessing the airport.
In related development, the Minister of State (Transport), Hon. Joy Kabatsi received recently a donation of COVID – 19 Safety equipment, including a Thermo scanner, Human Body Disinfection Booth and other Personal Protective Equipment, among others from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The donation was handed over by the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Rosa Malango to the airport authourities.
