The Civil Aviation Amendment Act, 2023 was rapidly passed by Parliament on February 1 and is currently awaiting presidential assent to become law. The reason for the urgency is related to Uganda’s current Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP), which evaluates the nation’s adherence to security and safety regulations set forth by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
General Katumba Wamala, Minister of Works and Transport, underlined the need of international standards, particularly for Uganda Airlines, which hopes to become a hub for the area. Entebbe International Airport and Uganda’s aviation are under investigation by the ICAO-conducted USAP.
The amendment fixes the flaws found in the September 2023 Universal Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), which was the previous audit. General Wamala issued a warning: if the law’s processing is delayed, there could be negative audit findings and possible harm to the law’s reputation abroad.
“A significant safety concern finding serves as a warning to the rest of the world that traveling to Uganda is not safe,” he said.
Legislation, organization, licensing, operations, airworthiness, accident investigation, air navigation services, and aerodromes are among the topics that the USOAP evaluates. Airlines, airports, and training facilities are among the entities in Uganda’s aviation sector that are subject to inspection to guarantee compliance.
The modified law creates a unique agency to carry out thorough monitoring of the aviation sector and assess the implications of safety and security decisions. It also imposes severe penalties on violent acts against aircraft, damage to air navigation facilities, and dissemination of misleading information that jeopardizes flight safety.
