Uganda to receive two Airbuses in 2020 – CAA boss

Uganda is set to receive two Airbuses in 2020 which will help the country to compete internationally, the Director General Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Dr David Kakuba, has revealed.

He said this during the 75 years celebrations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) held in Jinja at the source of the Nile on November 9, 2019.

“Next year, Uganda will get two Airbuses A330. They will be flying to countries like England, India and China among others, which will enable us to compete internationally like in two to three years to come,” Mr Kakuba said.

“I appeal to Ugandans to support our Airlines instead of talking negatively about it. Let’s embrace it, it’s now giving formidable competition to other Airlines and we should be proud of it because as bombardiers fly to nearby countries, the Airbuses will be flying to international countries and it will enable us boost tourism,” he added.

At the same function, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority also unveiled the ICAO monument at the source of the Nile in Jinja as a way of boosting tourism.
“All the 193 member states of ICAO unveiled the monument to their tourist attraction sites, here in Uganda we decided to unveil the monument at the source of the Nile because it’s one of the most tourist attraction sites we have,” Mr Kakuba said.

In the statement by the minister of works and transport Monica Ntege Azuba which was read by Gume Fredrick Ngoobi, Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, she said raising the ICAO flag at the source of the Nile further promotes the cordial and mutually beneficial relationship that exists between tourism and the aviation industries in Uganda.

“Cognisant of the fact that the source of the Nile is an international iconic tourism site, it’s only right and fitting that celebrations to mark 75 years of “connecting the world” are held here in recognition of the tremendous contribution of tourism to development of air transport,” she said in a statement.

Ms Azuba added that there has been growth in the number of passengers using Entebbe International Airport between January and October this year compared to the same period in the year 2018.

Between January and October this year, Entebbe Airport handled 1,530,268 people compared to 1,377,009 handled in the same period in 2018,” she noted.

“In further promotion of tourism and connectivity, the government also designated five of the thirteen up country aerodromes including Arua, Kasese, Pakuba, Gulu and Kidepo for international entry and exit which is to facilitate international flights to tourist attraction areas and such measures only reinforce the important relationship between air transport and tourism,” Ms Azuba said.