UCAA seeks Shs7b to recruit staff
At work. Aviation staff inspect an aeroplane at Entebbe International Airport recently. PHOTO BY EVE MUGANGA
What you need to know:
- Numbers. Last year, Entebbe airport had 32,000 aircraft movements compared to 5,800 in 1991.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has said it needs at least $2 million (about Shs7b) to recruit and train new staff.
The UCAA Director General, Mr Fred Bamwesigye, said manpower shortage is hampering air traffic control.
“We currently need more than 50 controllers. We have been training air navigation professionals and traffic controllers in big numbers except that the training is extremely expensive and we have to budget every year,” Mr Bamwesigye said during celebrations to mark International Controllers Day at Old Kampala Secondary School on Friday.
“As CAA, we spend about $1.5m in training. That is specific technical training for aviation but other training that leads to succession of leaders in aviation and other related professions in aviation needs another $500,000 per year,” he added.
Mr Bamwesigye said the cost includes support provided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and countries such as United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korea.
Recruitment policy
He said their recruitment policy is based on merit.
“We take on young people from universities who have excelled because aviation work requires proficiency all the time. So, we look for the best of the best,” Mr Bamwesigye said.
The UCAA public affairs manager, Mr Vianney Luggya, attributed the demand for more staff to the growth in passenger traffic.
“In 1991, we had 118,000 passengers; 2017 we had 1.65 million international passengers. In 2018, we had 1.84 million,” Mr Luggya said.
He added: “Last year, we had 32,000 aircraft movements compared to 5,800 in 1991.”
