Parliament passes civil aviation law

Parliament passed the Civil Aviation Amendment Act, 2023, on February 1, a day after it was tabled.

Uganda is racing against time to meet requirements for an ongoing audit into the safety and security of the country’s aviation, including the Entebbe International Airport and Uganda Airlines.  

“We are trying to make our company [Uganda Airlines] a hub in the region and we must meet the international standards. We are addressing gaps which would have an impact on the audit which is being carried out now. We want to have everything in place,” Minister for Works and Transport, General Katumba Wamala said.  

The country is currently undergoing the Universal Security Audit Programme, (USAP) intended to monitor Uganda’s compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) safety and security standards.  

ICAO, to which Uganda is a signatory, is a United Nations agency established to develop policies, standards and undertake compliance audits.

The new law seeks to cure multiple deficiencies unearthed by an earlier audit, the Universal Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), also by ICAO, that took place in September 2023.

Gen Wamala warned that a delay in processing the law could predispose the country’s aviation sector, including the Uganda Airlines, to international reputational damage.

 “A number of gaps were identified in the Civil Aviation Act which if not addressed, would have exposed Uganda to adverse audit findings that could have a far reaching implication on the country, including a finding of a significant safety concern,” he said. 

He added that; “A finding of significant safety concern, is in effect a notice to the world that it is not safe to travel to Uganda, or to travel by air to Uganda, or any Ugandan registered aircraft.”

The USOAP focuses on eight areas; legislation, organisation, licensing, operations, airworthiness, accident investigation, air navigation services and aerodromes.

Auditors scrutinize players approved by UCAA including airlines, the airports, and training institutions to establish compliance with requirements of the global aviation industry.

The law awaits presidential assent to take effect. It establishes a special unit that shall conduct comprehensive aviation industry surveillance, including assessment of safety and security related decisions, at all levels, in order to determine their impact on aviation safety and security.

The law also prescribes tough penalties for acts of violence on board an aircraft in flight, an airport serving international civil aviation, destruction or damage of an air navigation facility or interfering or engaging in interference with its operations and communication of false information that endangers the safety of an aircraft in flight.