ENTEBBE – The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has effected a number of changes after President Yoweri Museveni assented to the CAA (amendment) Act 2019.
In a statement dated August 8, Mr. Vianney Luggya, the manager public affairs at the CAA said the changes were aimed at ensuring the harmonization of the Uganda’s regulations and practices with universal practices across the globe.
He said CAA will now operate under the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority g(UCAA) name.
In others key changes, UCAA will now be headed by the Director General whose old title was executive director and be deputised by Deputy Director General from deputy managing director.
Luggya said the new law also gives the entity more powers, especially in regard to supervising private players in the aviation industry.
For example, the law grants unrestricted access to body’s inspectors to inspect aerodromes, air operator premises and aircraft in Uganda without prior notice.
It also allows the body to slap on-spot penalties on non-compliant players to enhance safety and efficiency in the industry.
He noted that under the old Act, CAA inspectors had to first seek permission from air operators and aerodrome operators to visit premises for routine inspections, which often compromised Uganda’s scores in relation to aviation legislation in previous international civil aviation organisation (ICAO) audits.
ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations which codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation.
In Uganda, CAA is the government agency responsible for licensing, monitoring, and regulating civil aviation matters.
