Government, private company in talks to redevelop Soroti Flying School

Government is engaged in preliminary negotiations with a private firm to redevelop Soroti Flying School into a modern training facility of international standards, Daily Monitor has established.

Technical and policy figures within the transport and aviation sector say the ongoing negotiations are still at a very basic level.

“It is just in initial stages, they have just made contact, we have asked them to send the details for an expression of interest and then we can see,” said state minister for Works and Transport John Byabagambi.

Daily Monitor investigations indicate that a Danish company Integra contacted government offering a deal to run the school based in eastern Uganda and the only such training centre in the region. In their proposal, Integra want to build the school into a “centre of excellence” not just for the region, but the continent.

Among the plans is to advance the training programme to provide for training of pilots for large passenger and cargo aircraft.

However, one complication stands in the way. Though Uganda hosts the school and has continued to run and maintain it since the break-up of the former East African Community in late 70’s, the community is yet to reclaim and take charge since it was re-established more than 10 years ago.

“It remains part of East African Community. We have discussed it in Cabinet and it has decided that the school be returned to the Community,” said Mr Byabagambi,

He said a facelift was done on the buildings and six new aircraft procured to help in training programs. However, one of the training aircrafts suffered a mishap and fell out of the air earlier this year leaving five functional crafts. Mr Byabagambi says the damaged aircraft is being repaired and will soon be back into training.

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