Africa’s Aviation Experts Convene to Advance Safer and Smarter Air Navigation

Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), in partnership with the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), has held  a three-day ICAO–CANSO workshop on System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) and Flight & Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE).

The regional technical gathering took place on  December 2-4, 2025 at Protea Hotel Entebbe, bringing together aviation professionals and regulators from 15 countries.

UCAA Deputy Director General, Ms Olive Birungi Lumonya, highlighted Uganda’s steady progress in digital aeronautical information exchange, MET data modernisation, and the implementation of electronic Terrain and Obstacle Data (eTOD).

These advancements, she noted, reflect the country’s strong commitment to transforming Air Navigation Services (ANS) in line with global standards.

Lumonya emphasised that SWIM and FF-ICE are transforming how aviation information is created, shared, and used, forming the backbone of the global shift toward trajectory-based operations.

“Uganda is proud to be among the States making concrete progress in these areas,” she said.

Lumonya stressed that the success of SWIM and FF-ICE is dependent on regional and global collaboration. She commended ICAO and CANSO for their continued leadership and thanked the experts gathered in Entebbe for their commitment to advancing aviation data and information systems across Africa.

Representing the ICAO Regional Director for the ESAF region, Kezia Ogutu underscored the need for collective action and capacity building among African States.

“There is a strong need for capacity building to prepare States for what is expected of them. This calls for working together, strengthening collaboration, and putting in place the proper structures,” she said.

The workshop has drawn participants from Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Tanzania, the United States, and Zambia.