The global civil aviation overseer has called for the overhaul of Uganda’s sector regulator to enhance its capacity for enforcing international standards of airworthiness and safety.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) wants the Ugandan government to establish a new office for investigating accidents, a mandate that at the moment is outside the local airspace regulator’s budget.
“Uganda should be assisted to establish, fund and equip the office of Chief Investigator of Accidents,” says ICAO’s report, which also recommends an overhaul of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCCA).
According to the ICAO, UCCA had an overall score of 61 per cent last year, up from 48 per cent five years ago, with major deficiencies related to training on airworthiness and inspection personnel. The Montreal-based ICAO says Uganda should review its aviation legislation to include provisions that guarantee the concept of a “just culture.” Cancelling of Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) led to domestic airlines grounding operations and incurring losses.
The withdrawal of AOCs led to shutting down of flights by Ugandan-registered airlines across the borders but allowed several of the affected players to continue domestic operations.
“Uganda should develop guidance and implement procedures that promote a voluntary reporting system and protect data collected to ensure it is used only for introduction of improvement to safety,” says the agency.
The specialised United Nations agency’s four pages of recommendations follow an audit done in early 2014 on operations of UCAA, and is dominated by the words “inconsistent,” “inefficient” and “insufficient.”
The audit of legislation, organisation, licensing, operations, airworthiness, accident investigation, air navigation services and aerodromes exposes a wide range of shortcomings at UCAA.
Build capacity
“UCAA should continue to build capacity (numbers and technical competence) for airworthiness, flight operations, aerodromes, personnel licensing and air navigation services inspectors,” says the document.
UCAA needs to strengthen its internal audit and quality assurance section with the necessary techniques and technical skills to effectively perform its functions, including an audit of the Directorate of Safety, Security and Economic Regulation.
Uganda also requires assistance to develop a strategic training plan to meet current and projected growth, including appropriate incentives to attract potential young candidates in the civil aviation sector and the promotion of affordable and sustainable training opportunities.
UCAA needs to continue discussions with the government to increase student sponsorships at ab initio training in order to meet the basic demands of the industry.
ICAO further says Uganda requires assistance in the initial and recurrent training of accident investigators to increase the numbers of qualified personnel. It needs help to acquire specialised equipment and techniques for investigations and wreckage recovery in difficult terrain, including under water.
“UCAA should develop, for the Minister of Works and Transport, appropriate guidance material on the composition of an accident investigation team in terms of the level and mix of technical expertise and specialty,” the report says.
Another recommendation is that the East African Community Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (EAC-CASSOA) be assisted to pool resources from regulators of partner states for carrying out inspections. EAC-CASSOA, which is headquartered in Entebbe, Uganda, commenced operations on June 1, 2007 as an autonomous self-accounting body following the signing of a protocol on April 18 that year.
ICAO said CASSOA should be assisted to develop a programme for standardisation of licensing examinations — including setting, moderation, conduct and administration — for the aviation industry in the partner states.
The report also calls for the East African Civil Aviation Academy at Soroti, Uganda, to be helped to develop capacity of instructors through retraining and wants the industry encouraged to sponsor candidates to the institution.
The landlocked country has not incorporated the Uganda Airport Authority, which, as in Tanzania and Kenya, would then be subject to oversight, citations for shortcomings, and punitive measures for continued failures. Entebbe International Airport is managed by UCCA, which also regulates itself.
UCAA in mid-2014 withdrew AOCs for Air Uganda, Trans-Afric Airlines, Uganda Air Cargo, Ndege Juu, Mission Aviation Fellowship, Air Surf, Asante Aviation and the Kampala Aero Club and Flight Training Centre.
The regulator on June 17 suspended Air Uganda’s licence, citing failure to comply with safety standards and putting passengers’ lives at risk. It led to the cost of fare on the Entebbe-Nairobi route rising from $380 to $560.
The East African
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