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Thursday, May 23, 2013

■ UGANDA: UCAA to upgrade Entebbe departure lounge; to finalize master plan for expansion works.

Uganda's Civil Aviation Authority logoUganda's Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has contracted Arch Design Architects & Engineers to redesign the entire departure area of Entebbe International Airport as part of plans to improve the airport and its ageing facilities.

Entebbe International Airport
Entebbe International Airport (unknown)
According to Engineer John Kagoro Tusubira, Director of Airports and Aviation Security, the redesigning will put in place a possible moving walkway to ease and simplify the movement of people, though this is not as yet confirmed.

The current passenger terminal building was constructed in the mid to late 1970s, together with runway 17/35.

He said the recent refurbishment of the Airport during the Common Wealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) conference in 2009 concentrated more on the arrivals and VIP areas with little done to the departures area, despite their importance to the country's image and tourism industry.

The UCAA is also in the process of developing a USD300'000 (about USh770 million) master plan to expand Entebbe Airport to accommodate increasing traffic. With 66 hectares of land already having been bought, projects will include a bigger, more modern air cargo terminal, an MRO hangar, the relocation of the current fuel farm from near the terminal building and the expansion of the current terminal building.

Additionally, repair works will include resealment of  the main runway 17/35, construction of an underground car park and a new Control Tower.

Power supply will also be addressed through the provision of generators.