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Civil Aviation blocks illegal activities on Lira airfield
Residents gathered at Lira Airfield as a military helicopter sets offon November 18, 2018. FILE PHOTO
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has directed the Lira Resident District Commissioner, Mr Milton Odongo, to stop illegal activities on Lira airfield.
The municipal council had already started clearing part of the land to relocate traders from Produce Lane.
In a June 11 letter, Mr Fred K Bamwesigye, the CAA’s deputy director general, said in 2015, the council gave part of the airfield land to private developers that built illegal structures on the runways, which made aircraft operations unsafe.
“We have since been allowing only light aircraft to operate in and out of the facility,” Mr Bamwesigye said.
He also told Mr Odongo to stop the planned relocation of produce dealers to the airfield.
Gazetted area
“This action on a gazetted aerodrome land does not only contravene the aerodrome regulation, but is also a direct sabotage to national security and emergency operations infrastructure,” Mr Bamwesigye said.
“It is not by accident that the airfield exists in the country and we continue to inject resources for making them usable,” he added.
Mr Bamwesigye said even if the airfield is relocated to Anai in Lira Sub-county, there will have to be discussion between CAA and the district authorities on what activities will be carried out there.
Mr Odongo warned the council authorities against proceeding with a planned relocation of produce dealers to the airfield.
“I will not allow them to carry out any activity on the CAA land which they have been encroaching on since 2015. How do you begin using land which is not yours without the owner’s permission?” he asked.
When contacted on Monday, Mr Mike Ogwang Olwa Veve, the municipal mayor, said he had not yet received the letter.
Mr Ogwang acknowledged that the RDC had earlier informed him that CAA had copied the letter to them.
“I have not yet received my copy, so I will comment later,” he said.
