President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni yesterday welcomed a delegation from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at Munyonyo.
The group is in Uganda to carry out an oversight audit on Entebbe International Airport. The purpose of the audit is to assess the level of Uganda’s effective implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices.
ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.
President Museveni welcomed the delegation and assured them that Uganda is open for the audit. He also emphasised that the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority team should be ready to learn and improve where necessary.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala said that if the outcome of the audit is positive then it will be to an advantage for the country since it will create trust and confidence in the country’s airspace among stakeholders.
“There will be confidence that our air space is safe to use,” he stated.
Gen. Katumba added that the audit will further unlock more flights for Uganda Airlines to fly to other destinations like the UK which has not allowed the national carrier to fly to their airspace until the audit is done.
“If the audit comes out positive, then it will be a chance to operate in the UK. Not in the UK alone but also in other areas like China, Mumbai, among others,” Gen. Katumba noted.
Mr. Manjang Kemo Ousman, the leader of the audit team from ICAO, commended the President for the efforts the Government has been making towards the improvement of Aviation safety.
“If you look at Uganda as a country, there is a lot of potential that could be unlocked with small investment in aviation, but you have to do well and demonstrate to the international community that Uganda is serious. Uganda has effectively implemented safety oversight systems at the international level,” Mr. Manjang said.
He added that once all the safety measures are met then it will unlock all the country’s aviation potential.
The meeting was attended by Justice Steven Kavuma, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority Board Chairman, Mr. Fred K. Bamwesigye, the Director General-Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, among other officials.