Uganda seeks international air transport licence for Kabalega airport

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has approved the change of the name of Kabale airport in Bunyoro sub-region to Kabalega International Airport.

UCAA is now pursuing the process of ensuring that the airport is certified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), an international body responsible for regulating air transport.

This was revealed by  Mr Fred Byamukama, the State minister for Works and Transport, during a tour of Kabalega International Airport last week.

 “It is clear that the progress of the work is 95 percent ready, and the airport has passed all the tests. Government renamed it Kabalega International Airport and CAA has already gazetted the name. CAA is gazetting the Airport with ICAO the international body responsible for air transport,” he said.

Mr Byamukama also said the airport is now doing test flights to ensure that it is ready to receive heavy cargo planes, which are delivering heavy equipment for oil production, by September 2025.

Kabalega International Airport on Monday, November 12, successfully completed a test flight, confirming its readiness for full-scale operations, officials said.

The Shs1.18 trillion airport is bigger than Entebbe International Airport and it is close to an industrial park and the oil wells.

Last Thursday, the minister and officials from the Civil Aviation Authority toured the airport whose construction started in 2018 and was supposed to be completed in 2022.

Development of Kabalega International Airport in Hoima, being undertaken by SBC (Uganda) Ltd, a joint venture of SBI International Holdings AG and Colas, UK. 

The Project is financed 85% by UK Export Finance (UKEF) and 15% by Commercial Source-Standard Chartered bank. At a contract sum of Ugx 1.2trillion

Mr Byamukama said the airport construction was affected by Covid-19 as well as escalation of prices for commodities such as cement, which also increased the cost of the construction works.

But construction of the hangar, airport terminal, the runways and the firefighting area are already complete. He adds that they are left with bringing in the mobile control tower, water electricity, and heavy-duty generators.

Mr Byamukama also revealed that some staff at the Civil Aviation Authority in Entebbe have already been deployed at the new airport to start initiating the airport handover process from its contractor to government.