As other sectors of Uganda’s economy slowly move on from the earlier lockdown, things haven’t been the same with the aviation sector where domestic and international flights continue to be under lockdown.
However, the airport authorities have not been off duty or even out of business entirely. A number of repatriation flights were earlier being handled until 25th this month when the government put a halt on all repatriation flights in a bid to decongest quarantine centers.
As the airport awaits resumption, a number of strategies and considerations have all been put in place with some still being considered so as to open to safe operations. In the wake of Covid-19, government has suggested Standard Operating Operations (SOPs) to which all authorities are expected to abide to. It is these SOPs the Entebbe airport authorities is trying to enact or even elect infrastructure that will be compelant with the same.
While attending to a press interview, the spokesperson of Entebbe airport, Kenneth Otim, he highlighted that from January to July, the airport had 186,693 passengers going through the airport. This according to him was a big drop from over 489,000 passengers seen through the airport around the same time last year.
“Imports in 2020, we have recorded a total of 11,173. So, last year’s total imports as compared to this year are almost matching. This is because we have been doing a lot of cargo importation as the flights have been open. We tried to scale down on the number of workers with some advised to work from home and others told to work at their usual work places,” he added.
When asked whether the airport is ready for full operation with the big numbers while under observation of SOPs, Kenneth said that the ministry of health had come forward and trained workers on how to use the personal protective gears.
“When passengers arrive, they will not come here directly. We shall first take them through the Port health steps and scan their body temperature. We have got isolation rooms ready in case we get any Covid-19 positive cases among the passengers,” he added.
It should be known that the closure of the airport has continued to strangle a number of dependant sectors such as the tourism and travel industry.
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