Entebbe Worldwide Airport has failed a crucial take a look at by the Worldwide Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a transfer that brings the nation’s solely worldwide airport nearer to being blacklisted for worldwide airways.
ChimpReports has discovered that in March, ICAO, a world physique that creates laws for aviation security, carried out a mock test of Entebbe Airport’s safety.
In the course of the mock train, ICAO quietly found that Entebbe Airport lacked hearth vans.
This was as a result of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) had secretly borrowed hearth vans from regional airports, the police, and the UPDF to mislead ICAO.
Curiously, ICAO specialists realised that the hearth truck drivers weren’t accustomed to the principles of driving on the airport.
For instance, these hearth truck drivers drove dangerously on the airside (the a part of an airport utilized by plane for loading and unloading and takeoffs and landings, comparable to runways, taxiways, aprons, and ramps).
Skilled airside drivers should have the ability to determine aerodrome markings, lighting, and signage and adjust to well being and security measures, which was not the case with those ICAO noticed at Entebbe Airport.
ICAO is ready to conduct a complete safety test at Entebbe Airport in September 2023.
If safety considerations found at Entebbe should not sorted out on time, officers say the airport may lose its worldwide safety standing, which might be an enormous blow to Uganda’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Worldwide airways might be compelled to cease flights to Entebbe Airport.
Scandal
An investigation by ChimpReports has found that through the ICAO mock test, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) hurriedly moved hearth vans from Soroti and Gulu regional airfields to Entebbe with out the data of Samuel Wonekha, the Normal Supervisor of regional airports.
Upon studying of the event, Wonekha directed Benedict Ovura, the Airports Operations Officer, to difficulty a NOTAM (Discover to All Airmen) downgrading Entebbe Airport’s firefighting safety standing.
“Beginning sixteenth until nineteenth March 2023, Entebbe Rescue and Hearth Combating Providers Class 9 downgraded to class 7,” the NOTAM issued by Uvura learn partially.
A NOTAM is a discover containing info important to personnel involved with flight operations however not identified far sufficient prematurely to be publicized by different means.
It states the irregular standing of a part of the Nationwide Airspace System (NAS) – not the conventional standing.
Following the issuance of NOTAM concerning the poor standing of firefighting and rescue companies at Entebbe Airport on March 16, Emirates and KLM didn’t fly to Entebbe.
Turkish Airways delayed its flight to Entebbe that day.
The scandal has left UCAA with an egg on its face.
Accident
ChimpReports understands that whereas dashing a firetruck from Soroti Airfield to Entebbe Airport, the automobile was concerned in an accident.
This was confirmed by a number of UCAA officers, together with the Principal Transport and Upkeep Officer, Nicholas Tayebwa.
He disclosed in an e mail to high administration that the Soroti Hearth Truck T17 was enroute to Entebbe when the “accident occurred on the evening of March 16, 2023, alongside the Kumi-Paliisa freeway between Kanyum and Mkongoro cities.”
Based on Tayebwa’s confidential safety report, the “truck overturned and rolled 25 meters away from the tarmac.”
The 2 occupants of the firetruck, Simon Okoboi and Joel Aweny, survived loss of life miraculously.
Okoboi, a fireman, sustained a deep minimize on his leg.
Because the drama unfolded, some high UCAA managers steered a cover-up.
In an e mail dated March 19, 2023, UCAA Air Site visitors Supervisor, Geoffrey Okot, charged: “In case you have internally secured the hearth vans from Gulu and Soroti, why do we have now to ship the NOTAM?”
Okot stated, “The motion of vans from Gulu and Soroti is inner to UCAA,” including, “If securing the vans is accomplished to make sure steady hearth companies, why do we have now to ship the NOTAM and publicise the challenges we have now?”
Nevertheless, insiders informed ChimpReports that the tradition of protecting up UCAA’s incompetence and corruption continues to trigger extra issues at Entebbe Airport.
“These points want to come back up in order that they’re addressed,” stated a supply who most well-liked anonymity to talk freely.
“Uncoordinated motion”
On his half, Wonekha, informed colleagues in a March 18 e mail to high administration that “redeployment of regional hearth vans from Gulu and Soroti airports to Entebbe Worldwide Airport required prior coordination.”
The withdrawal of fireside vans left Soroti and Gulu airfields susceptible in emergency conditions.
Wonekha stated “these airports (regional) are facilitating each army and civil coaching,” emphasising, “the dearth of coordination and planning on what must be completed previous to vans being deployed away from these stations is a grave mistake.”
He additionally defended his resolution to difficulty a NOTAM, saying “issuing of NOTAMs that such companies should not accessible just isn’t debatable.”
Wonekha additionally ordered Ovura to “adhere to all procedures to have NOTAMs in place,” arguing that “these are a number of the occurrences the place aviation safety should promptly act.”
He additionally identified that the drama unfolding at UCAA may have repercussions for Entebbe Airport through the certification course of carried out by ICAO.
“Within the spirit of Entebbe Airport certification, I’ll reserve many questions. I don’t see how such plans to redeploy belongings from my space of jurisdiction can happen with out my data, even my designate’s,” stated Wonekha.
The matter has since attracted the eye of UCAA’s Deputy Director Normal, Olive Birungi Lumonya, who stated it was “unlucky” that Wonekha was “not consulted earlier than the choice was made” to take away hearth vans from Soroti and Gulu airfields.
In an e mail dated March 19, Lumonya cautioned UCAA workers: “As a group, we will additional brainstorm and agree on how greatest to keep away from misguided missiles and contradicting communication.”
She added: “All accounting officers, regardless of whether or not in an appearing place or not, have to be knowledgeable concerning the high-risk purple flags, even when they don’t seem to be required procedure-wise.”
ChimpReports understands that UCAA Director Normal, Fred Bamwesigye wrote to the Chief Mechanical Engineer on the Works Ministry requesting a crane, breakdown truck, and low loader to maneuver the Soroti Hearth truck from Kumi to Kampala for restore.
Whereas UCAA’s Principal Transport and Upkeep Officer, Nicholas Tayebwa, stated the Soroti Hearth Truck “overturned and rolled 25 meters away from the tarmac,” Bamwesigye, in his letter to the Works Ministry, stated the automobile “received a significant breakdown” between Kumi-Paliisa street.
The Ugandan taxpayer will foot the invoice for the truck’s “main repairs” at Spear Motors Kampala.
