As the volume of travel through Entebbe International Airport continues to increase, the efficacy of emergency response measures is being put to the test. Fred Bamwesigye, the Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), has reassured both the general public and travelers that the emergency response team is well-prepared and fully equipped to handle any potential emergencies resulting from an aircraft accident.
On June 14, a simulated aircraft crashed at a run way 12 threshold causing aircraft’s engine catch fire while carrying 100 passengers and crew members. In this exercise 25 individuals were presumed dead and 15 sustained critical injuries, triggering an emergency response that involved firefighters, medical personnel, security agencies, and the media.
After an emergency response exercise, Bamwesigye said the incident is partial mock exercise which gave the authority a valuable learning opportunity to assess its capabilities and limitations in managing emergency scenarios such as aircraft accidents and how rescue efforts would be coordinated.
“The exercise helped to test emergency plans, procedures, communication framework, response times and coordination abilities in such unlikely occurrence.”
Bamwesigye has urged Ugandans to have confidence in the Aviation sector emphasizing its adherence to establish aviation standards and recommendations.”We work tirelessly to ensure that compliance continues, we assure air travelers of complete safety at Entebbe International Airport.”
Col. Emmanuel Barungi General Manager for Entebbe Airport has articulated that both partial and full scale emergency simulation exercise is a mandate exercise for International Civil Aviation Organisation. He disclosed the travel numbers of May 2024, the airport registered 92,298 arrivals and 89,036 departures totaling 181,334 international passengers.
Joselyn Nakitto is a staff writer at SML News Ug with passion in health, business and current affairs. She can be contacted on 0709603158
