STEPHEN KAFEERO
A classified security inspection report of Entebbe International Airport (EIA) has outlined security concerns and gaps which investigators say need immediate action by the aviation regulator.
The report was the result of a routine security inspection
to identify potential security breaches at the country’s only international
airport. It was submitted to the Chief of the Joint Security Operations and the
commandant of the Aviation Police, and was discussed by senior airport
officials on Monday.
A copy of the report seen by this newspaper “established no
real security threats” but highlights areas that need to be urgently addressed
by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
One of the key issues raised is the malfunctioned baggage
handling system, which “has for a long period of time offered a wide security
gap as EIA’s capacity to carry out a secondary and final technical security
screening of all checked in baggage has been compromised for so long.”
According to the report, this gap has gone unattended for
long yet it has the potential to inflict serious consequences. The authors have
advised UCAA to replace the baggage handling system if repairs are
unsuccessful.
The investigators also found extensive rubber build-up on
the runway’s landing and take-off areas which, they warned, could result in
reduced braking and directional control in wet conditions. Investigators said
there is an “urgent need” to remove the extensive rubber deposit accumulation
and timely routine maintenance.
On April 20, a Rwanda Air aircraft veered off the runway,
causing hours-long flight delays at Entebbe Airport. The event was attributed
to unfavourable weather by officials, but this newspaper exclusively
spotlighted potential problems on the runway at the time.
Months later, this newspaper reported that President
Museveni, in a letter on the incident, had noted structural and technical
problems at UCAA. “Whether the pilot made a mistake or not, I am more
interested in the mistakes of [U]CAA and the airport management,” he noted in
his letter copied to Vice President Jessica Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah
Nabbanja, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, Defence minister Vincent Ssempijja
and Chief of Defence Forces Wilson Mbadi, among others. The incident led to the
suspension of outbound and inbound flights by UCAA for at least 20 hours. The
UPDF was called in to remove the stricken plane because there was insufficient
equipment.
The incident brought into sharp focus the work that been
undertaken on the runway in 2020, part of a $200 million upgrade of the airport
by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC).
Although the alternate runway 12/30 hasn’t been certified,
the security study finds that the original air approach to this runway hasn’t
been maintained and is now engulfed in dense swamp vegetation.
To have runway 12/30 certified for full operations as a
backup runway for both day and night flights, it should be budgeted for and
implemented to replace the defunct runway 12/30 Air Approach and runways 12/30
edge lighting, the investigators recommend.
The inspectors observe that there is only a limited capacity
for marine rescue—the available capacity shows less than 100 people every trip,
which is far less than more than 400 passengers if all rescue boats are in
working order.
Repairs and replacements
To fully restore the advised maritime rescue and
firefighting capacity, UCAA should expedite the current procurement procedures
for all required repairs and part replacements, the investigators noted.
Also cited are inadequate security safeguards at the
entrance gates, lack of essential security equipment, such as search mirrors,
scanners, and handheld metal detectors, together with insufficient Aviation
Security (AVSEC) personnel.
EIA, according to the inspection team, lacks a designated
aircraft isolation parking area at the airside. Further, the automatic weather
instrument and weather thermometer at Buku Weather Observatory Station is
spoilt. They observe a generally bushy airport environment at the Eastern and
Northern sections. This, they add, attracts birds as well as domestic and wild
animals which pose hazards to flight operations.
The report also notes the absence of perimeter lighting and
closed-circuit television making night security observation impossible without
night vision gadgets.
Other issues include noticeable subterranean grumbling among
firefighting and rescue staff over poor relations with their leadership. Then
there is absence of runway edge lights on Runway 12/30. Many of the night
portable lights being used are also old. A lift in the VIP arrival area was
also found to be faulty, among other defects.
While none of these shortcomings are considered major, UCAA
faces a race to rectify them ahead of a scheduled inspection by the
International Civil Aviation Authority.
Entebbe Airport has a relatively good safety record but the
recent incident involving a Precision Airlines aircraft that overshot the
runway in Bukoba and ended up in Lake Victoria killing more than a dozen
passengers has put the spotlight on air safety.
This newspaper held this story to allow UCAA officials to
discuss the report on Monday. The Authority’s spokesperson Vianney Luggya sent
this response after the meetings:
“It is important to note that security and safety reports of
this nature are normal in the aviation industry, and are usually prepared
internally for continuous improvement. When the reports are made, they are
discussed, clarifications made, and the actual status of ongoing improvements
given.”
On the baggage
handling system: “The baggage conveyor component of the system is fully
operational. However, the system’s automatic mode, which relates to secondary
screening of baggage is temporarily experiencing challenges. There are backup
measures, including thorough screening at the primary level (first security
screening on entry to departure) and rescreening of baggage using sniffer dogs
in the baggage make-up area. Even when the BHS is fully operational in
automatic mode, sniffer dogs are still deployed and they provide the highest
percentage of reliability.”
On rubber on the runway: “This is normal at all airports in
the world because every time an aircraft lands, it leaves rubber deposits on
the runway, especially on the runway touch-down zone. The more landings on a
runway, the more rubber deposits.”
He said when friction test readings reach a certain level,
it calls for work to remove the rubber deposits. “We have not yet got to that
state so there is no cause for alarm.”
On marine capacity: “The capacity of the Marine section is much higher than what is stated. For instance, Rescue 2, which is only one of the marine boats in place, has six life rafts with each raft having the capacity to rescue 37 people, a total of 222 people. In addition, each life raft is designed with a survival rope all around it on which about 20 people can hold during a rescue mission. The survival rope provides for an additional total of 120. The minor issues that the boat experienced are already being addressed.”
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