Entebbe International Airport conducted a simulated aircraft accident exercise on Friday, June 14. This two-hour drill was designed to test the airport’s readiness for an emergency involving a passenger aircraft. The simulation involved a fictional “Compact Air flight” with 100 passengers and crew on board.
During the exercise, the scenario assumed that the flight lost power shortly after take-off and crashed near the runway. One of the aircraft’s engines caught fire, creating an emergency situation. In the simulation, 25 people were presumed dead and 15 survivors were critically injured. This triggered an emergency response from airport fire-fighters and other rescue agencies.
Fire-fighters worked to extinguish the flames, and several hospitals were summoned to respond with ambulances and medical staff. Participants in the exercise included medics from various hospitals, the Uganda Red Cross Society, Kazuri Medical Centre, Uganda Airlines, Police Medical Services, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), ground handling agents, customs officials, Entebbe police fire brigade, Uganda funeral services, volunteers, and national security agencies.
Vianney Luggya, the public relations manager for the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), explained that such exercises are a mandatory requirement for international airports that are member states of the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO). The last partial emergency exercise at Entebbe Airport was held in December 2020, and a full-scale emergency exercise was conducted on November 4, 2022.
Emmanuel Barungi, the general manager for Entebbe Airport, emphasized that both partial and full-scale emergency simulations are required by the ICAO. Partial exercises involve critical responders such as medics, security agencies, and media, while full-scale exercises involve the general public.
Fred Bamwesigye, the director general of the UCAA, highlighted the importance of these exercises. They help test emergency plans, procedures, communication frameworks, response times, and coordination abilities in case of real emergencies.
Bamwesigye noted that the number of passengers using Entebbe Airport continues to rise, making safety a top priority. In May 2024, the airport handled 92,298 arrivals and 89,036 departures, totaling 181,334 international passengers, which averages to 5,849 passengers per day. By the end of 2023, the airport recorded 1.93 million passengers, up from 1.57 million in 2022. Regarding cargo, the airport handled 2,442 metric tons of imports and 4,010 metric tons of exports in May 2024.
