Old Entebbe Airport closed for Congolese aircraft
Hi there, The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has banned the use of the Old Entebbe Airport by Congo-bound commercial planes. In a letter to transport minister John Nasasira on March 21, CAA chief Ambrose Akandonda said the directive was effective March 31. The ban affects Air Navettee, Showa Trade Air, Volga Atlantic and Services Air. "Following the normalisation of air links between Uganda and the DR Congo, it has become necessary that only companies which operate aircrafts that are compliant with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) should operate services between Uganda and DRC," Akandonda said. He advised the affected operators to acquire an Air Services Licence (ASL) and Air Operators Certificate (AOC). He said all commercial operations must be based at the new airport terminal. Sources said the ban has affected transportation of drugs and vaccines to Congo's Ituri region. For instance, MSF, an international NGO, had planned to charter Sam Engola's Showa Trade Air Antonov plane to deliver the supplies. "Mr. Don Johnson of MSF (Swiss) sought in vain for special permission from CAA to fly drugs to Ituri where acute cholera has broken out," Engola said. Some 160 people died in five days since the epidemic broke out on the western shores of the Lake Albert. State minister of health Capt. Mike Mukula said, "There is a high possibility that the cholera epidemic in Congo will spread to Uganda. There is a lot of human movement there. I suggest that humanitarian flights be allowed." CAA said the ban followed complaints that flights originating from the Old Entebbe Airport contravened CAA directives, resulting in crashes blamed on the CAA. Engola said his plane based at the Old Airport were registered in Kinshasa and were duly issued with ASL and AOC. He said they had applied for another ASL and AOC in Uganda but their applications had not been processed because their planes are Russian-made Antonovs. He said Antonov planes are in use in DR Congo, Kenya, Dubai, Tanzania and South Africa. He protested the two-week ban notice from CAA. "In normal practice, they should have given us a three-month notice. The short notice has affected our contracts and will be costly," he said. Engola said planes at the old airport pay US$650 (about sh1,100,000) per flight, while parking fee is $20 (sh34,000) per day. Each crew of six receive $15 (sh26,000) per day. Recent plane crashes in Entebbe include a Ghana-registered cargo plane en route to Togo. In January, six Russians were killed when their plane flying 'humanitarian aid' crashed at takeoff. Cheers, Felix
Hi there, The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has banned the use of the Old Entebbe Airport by Congo-bound commercial planes. In a letter to transport minister John Nasasira on March 21, CAA chief Ambrose Akandonda said the directive was effective March 31. The ban affects Air Navettee, Showa Trade Air, Volga Atlantic and Services Air. "Following the normalisation of air links between Uganda and the DR Congo, it has become necessary that only companies which operate aircrafts that are compliant with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) should operate services between Uganda and DRC," Akandonda said. He advised the affected operators to acquire an Air Services Licence (ASL) and Air Operators Certificate (AOC). He said all commercial operations must be based at the new airport terminal. Sources said the ban has affected transportation of drugs and vaccines to Congo's Ituri region. For instance, MSF, an international NGO, had planned to charter Sam Engola's Showa Trade Air Antonov plane to deliver the supplies. "Mr. Don Johnson of MSF (Swiss) sought in vain for special permission from CAA to fly drugs to Ituri where acute cholera has broken out," Engola said. Some 160 people died in five days since the epidemic broke out on the western shores of the Lake Albert. State minister of health Capt. Mike Mukula said, "There is a high possibility that the cholera epidemic in Congo will spread to Uganda. There is a lot of human movement there. I suggest that humanitarian flights be allowed." CAA said the ban followed complaints that flights originating from the Old Entebbe Airport contravened CAA directives, resulting in crashes blamed on the CAA. Engola said his plane based at the Old Airport were registered in Kinshasa and were duly issued with ASL and AOC. He said they had applied for another ASL and AOC in Uganda but their applications had not been processed because their planes are Russian-made Antonovs. He said Antonov planes are in use in DR Congo, Kenya, Dubai, Tanzania and South Africa. He protested the two-week ban notice from CAA. "In normal practice, they should have given us a three-month notice. The short notice has affected our contracts and will be costly," he said. Engola said planes at the old airport pay US$650 (about sh1,100,000) per flight, while parking fee is $20 (sh34,000) per day. Each crew of six receive $15 (sh26,000) per day. Recent plane crashes in Entebbe include a Ghana-registered cargo plane en route to Togo. In January, six Russians were killed when their plane flying 'humanitarian aid' crashed at takeoff. Cheers, Felix