Page 58 - World Airnews Magazine November 2020

NEWS DIGITAL

UGANDA’S AVIATION INDUSTRY

STILL SLOW PACED

first 12 days of its re-opening on October Dar-es-salaam, routes that are steadily
1, according to records by the Civil Aviation picking up, compared to the first day of
Uganda’s aviation industry is slowly Authority. reopening where less than 40 passengers
picking up as countries open airspaces, Vianney Luggya, spokesperson Uganda boarded the flight to Nairobi.
according to airline operators and Civil Aviation Authority-UCAA said that Travel agents led by Irene Nalwoga,
travel agents. They, however, said that the the airport has mostly handled incoming managing director of Renewills Tours
situation in Uganda is a reflection on the passengers. and Travel Ltd and Women Tour Uganda
aviation industry globally. Before the closure, the airport handled a attribute the slow resumption of travel to
Entebbe Airport used to handle more total of 1.9 million passengers in 2019, an fear of contracting COVID-19 and also the
than 120 flights a day, generating revenue average of 160,000 passengers a month. ever-changing travel restrictions across the
of about 20 billion Kenyan Shillings a But now agents and airline officials are world.
month, before the closure of borders in doubtful that the numbers could reach Meanwhile, Nalwoga said that some
March. 50,000 at the end of October. people are hesitant to travel now because
But for seven months, traffic at the Joel Ssentongo, passenger service manag- countries might lockdown again, which
airport was only limited to emergency and er at Tarco Airlines said that business is still could leave then stranded overseas.
cargo flights as Uganda, as was the case for slow because the airport is mainly handling A parent who preferred anonymity said
several other countries, across the globe, essential travellers such as nationals and her son travelled to Rwanda for studies and
sought to tame the spread of coronavirus legal residents, as opposed to the business will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival
disease. community. and be quarantined for 24 hours - only
During the seven months’ lull, the “Many people used to travel for business be released after testing negative for
revenue drastically reduced to one billion in China but they are now going to Dubai COVID-19. She said using a bus to Kigali
Kenya Shillings a month. and Turkey while others who would be would have been a gruesome journey.
But commercial passenger flights are now attending conferences, exhibitions and Some outgoing passengers said that
back, in a phased approach with 16 airlines visiting family and friends are no longer they are travelling for work in the Middle
now operating international flights to over travelling,” he said. East, Turkey and within Africa, while three
ten destinations across the world. They Ssentongo said Tarco airlines is oper- were students flying to Canada, USA and
include Uganda Airlines, Tarco Airlines, ating only one flight a week to Juba and Rwanda.
Rwandair, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways Khartoum because Uganda’s aviation indus- In its latest statement, the International
and Emirates, among others. try is picking up slowly. Before the partial Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), projects
In the first phase running from October shutdown, the airline used to operate three that there will be an overall reduction
to December 2020, all airlines, apart from flights a week. in both international and domestic air
Uganda Airlines are supposed to operate Meanwhile, Roger Wamara, Uganda passengers in a range projected between
only one flight a day to avoid congestion Airline commercial director, said that all 59 and 62 per cent this year. As a result,
at Entebbe Airport. Under this restricted four routes are steadily improving, with airports globally will record an estimated
arrangement, a total of 13,002 passengers Juba and Mogadishu being the most sought revenue loss of over (US) $104.5 billion or
were handled at Entebbe Airport in the after. The airline also flies to Nairobi and (389 trillion shillings).Q

World Airnews | November Extra 2020
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