The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has opened part of the first floor of the new terminal building to facilitate departing passengers with adequate space at the check-in counters while observing the necessary Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The revelation was made by the Ag Director-General UCAA Mr Fred Bamwesigye- during a media tour of the completed passenger facilities at Entebbe International Airport, Friday.
“We have had to open because really what we are looking for is adequate space for our passengers for Covid-19 guidelines observance; such as social distancing since the number of passengers keeps on increasing. With the old facility, we were handling two million passengers a year and this new departure passenger terminal will handle at least more than three million passengers a year since the number of flights per day also increased from the one flight airline per day to at least two per day for the operators that were previously having many daily flights.” He explained.
He also disclosed that UCAA has completed reconfiguration of the passenger boarding lounges from closed to open boarding lounges by removing the portions to provide more space and seating area in the terminal.
In October 2020, the first month of resumption of commercial passenger operations, Entebbe International Airport recorded 42, 633 International passengers with a total of 23,867arriving, 15,461 departing and 3,305 transit passengers, which set an average of 1,375 passengers per day.
“There has been an increase in the first 25 days of November 2020, the daily average has increased to 1,676 with about 41,905 international passengers, and with a total of 21,401 arriving, 17,779 departing together along with some 2,705 passengers in transit that were handled from November 1 to November 25, 2020,” Said Mr Bamwesigye.
On the side of cargo, Entebbe Airport handled an impressive 5,542 metric tons of cargo with a total of 2,241 imports and 3301 exports in October 2020.
Mr Bamwesigye further stated that the upgrade and expansion of Entebbe International Airport works aimed at rehabilitation and strengthening of the old ruway are 12/30 complete.
“95 per cent of the works for new cargo Centre’s Aircraft parking Apron have been accomplished. 93 per cent of works for the cargo terminal building are complete and 90 per cent of works for the landside and airside access roads have so far been accomplished and also Expansion works for Aircraft parking Apron1 and extension works for taxiway Alpha are complete,” he said.
This implies that the overall progress regarding the upgrade and expansion of Entebbe international Airport is at 75 percent level of completion.
According to Mr Daniel Kiyimba, a senior Civil Engineer with UCAA, “the first floor of the new terminal building extension at the departure area will be completed by December 30, 2020.”
Source: Story by By Eve Muganga – Monitor -Uganda
