UCAA receives Covid-19 safety equipment worth Shs33 million
L-R. Mr Richard Ruhesi, Director Air Navigation Service, Eng Ayub Sooma, Director Airports and Aviation security receiving equipment from deputy country director KOICA, Mr Park Youngshin. Photo | Eve Muganga
What you need to know:
- During the handover ceremony at Entebbe Airport, the Director Airports and Aviation Security, Eng Ayub Sooma on behalf of the Ag. Director-General UCAA, said Covid-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on aviation and all other sectors that depend on aviation like tourism, trade, and Agriculture thereby impacting the social and economic development of countries.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) Wednesday has received Covid-19 safety equipment worth Shs33 million from the Korea International Corporation Agency (KOICA) to support efforts aimed at mitigating the spread of Covid-19 through air transport.
During the handover ceremony at Entebbe Airport, the Director Airports and Aviation Security, Eng Ayub Sooma on behalf of the Ag. Director-General UCAA, said Covid-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on aviation and all other sectors that depend on aviation like tourism, trade, and Agriculture thereby impacting the social and economic development of countries.
“The personal protective equipment received will be put into proper use to ensure the safety of passengers and frontline airport staff,” he said.
Mr Sooma added that KOICA partnered with UCAA in 2018 to modernise aeronautical infrastructure in the country.
“There’s ongoing automation of systems at Entebbe International Airport as part of a $9.5 million (Shs35 billion) grant from Korean government. A terminal Operations Control Center and training facility have already been erected as part of this project and its main purpose is to enable us to monitor all the activities that are ongoing not only at the terminal building but within the surroundings,” he said.
He further noted that UCAA has in conjunction with airport stakeholders also put in place a number of other interventions to address the challenges occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic on air travel. Such interventions include; Installation of automated sanitizers at various points within the terminal building, erection of glass shields at immigration and checkpoint, and temperature screening equipment at all points of entry to the airport among others.
Mr Richard Ruhesi, Director Air Navigation Services said that the project is composed of seven constituent projects like terminal operations control center, computerised maintenance management system, and airport operations.
“Terminal operations control center located at the airport, ATS message handling system located at the control tower, and selected upcountry aerodromes among others are already completed,” he said.
Mr Park Youngshin, the Deputy Country Director KOICA said: “I am glad that the airport reopened, our donation is aimed at mitigating the spread of Covid-19 at the airport.”
