UCAA Conducts Full-Scale Mock Drill at Entebbe Airport to Test Security Readiness

Entebbe, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority recently conducted a full-scale security exercise at Entebbe International Airport to evaluate preparedness in responding to a bomb threat. In this simulation, flight No. AF 347, with 40 passengers and three crew members, reported a bomb threat note found in the aircraft lavatories during taxi for take-off. Various airport stakeholders, including airline operators, ground handling agents, security personnel, UCAA staff, health professionals, and government agencies, participated to assess their responses as per the security contingency plan.

This security exercise is a mandatory requirement for international airports in countries under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and aims to evaluate emergency contingency response plans, communication procedures, and collaboration with partners and government agencies.

UCAA issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to inform operators of commercial flights at Entebbe International Airport about the exercise’s timing from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The last full-scale security exercise at Entebbe International Airport was conducted by UCAA on November 4, 2019.

The Ugandan government recently announced that Entebbe International Airport passed a safety audit by ICAO, demonstrating a high level of compliance with international standards. This audit’s preliminary results indicated a score of 72.17%, ranking Uganda above the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAF) region average of 55.66% and the global average of 67.68%. This achievement underscores Uganda’s commitment to ICAO standards, reinforcing its aviation safety system.

ICAO’s audit is a crucial objective tool for assessing a state’s civil aviation security system.

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