Entebbe tests hijack response as UCAA steps up airport security, expansion

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on Friday conducted a full-scale aviation security exercise at Entebbe International Airport, testing the preparedness of security agencies and aviation stakeholders to respond to a simulated aircraft hijacking.

The two-and-a-half-hour exercise, code-named EX 2026, began at 12:14 pm and simulated a Fenna Airlines flight carrying 67 people—62 passengers and five crew members. The scenario assumed that the aircraft had been hijacked before take-off after an attacker gained access to the cockpit, overpowered the co-pilot and took control of the aircraft, triggering emergency response procedures.

Speaking after the exercise, UCAA Director General Fred K. Bamwesigye emphasised that the incident was only a simulation designed to prepare Uganda’s aviation sector for real-life emergencies.

“These are real situations that happen in aviation around the world, and we have to prepare for them. Aviation is highly regulated because of the risks involved, and that is why it remains the safest means of transport,” Bamwesigye said.

The exercise brought together joint security agencies, air traffic controllers, airline operators, ground handling companies, health personnel and other government agencies to test inter-agency coordination, incident command, airport emergency response and crisis management.

Bamwesigye said such exercises are mandatory under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and are conducted every two years by international airports to validate emergency response plans and maintain compliance with international aviation security requirements.

He said stakeholders would conduct a post-exercise debrief to identify strengths, lessons learnt and areas requiring improvement.

The UCAA last conducted a similar full-scale security exercise in October 2023, followed by a tabletop exercise in 2024 and a full-scale aviation safety exercise in May 2025.

He assured travellers that passenger and cargo operations continued normally throughout the exercise.

“If airport users do not even realise that an emergency exercise is taking place, then we have been very successful,” he said.

Bamwesigye said Uganda’s latest ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP-CMA) score stands at 81.6 per cent, above both the regional and global averages, adding that the Authority is working towards achieving a score in the 90 per cent range.

He noted that the score reflects the collective performance of the entire aviation sector, including airlines, airport operators, immigration authorities, ground handlers and cargo operators.

The Director General also revealed that Entebbe International Airport handled 191,642 international passengers in May 2026, comprising 94,840 arrivals and 96,802 departures, while cargo throughput reached 4,935 metric tonnes, with exports exceeding imports.

He described the higher export volumes as a positive indicator for Uganda’s economy.

Addressing journalists, Alhajji Eng. Sooma Ayub, UCAA’s Director of Airports and Aviation Security, said the Authority has significantly upgraded airport infrastructure and emergency response capabilities in recent years.

He said the expansion of Entebbe International Airport has delivered a modern cargo terminal, improved passenger terminal facilities, redesigned arrival and departure areas, upgraded surveillance and security systems, enhanced rescue and firefighting equipment, improved water and power supply systems and stronger standby electricity capacity.

“We have upgraded many facilities to ensure Entebbe International Airport remains safe, secure and capable of handling growing passenger and cargo traffic,” Sooma said.

He added that the airport had also successfully undergone the ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme and had just completed a Quality Management System audit.

Responding to questions about future developments, Bamwesigye said airport expansion is a continuous process driven by increasing passenger numbers, tourism growth and expansion of Uganda’s aviation sector.

“There is no day we shall stop developing our airports and aviation infrastructure. As traffic grows, infrastructure must also grow,” he said.

He disclosed that UCAA is upgrading runway lighting, expanding radar coverage in northern Uganda, modernising air navigation systems and improving communication infrastructure to enhance aviation safety.

Bamwesigye also said government is progressing plans to separate UCAA’s regulatory role from airport operations by creating an independent airport operating company while retaining UCAA as the national aviation regulator.

He said the reforms are expected to be finalised by the middle of next year.

The Director General acknowledged that financing major infrastructure projects, acquiring land for airport expansion, rapid technological changes, regulating drones and growing regional competition remain some of the Authority’s biggest challenges.

“We prioritise projects according to available resources, but we remain committed to ensuring Uganda has an aviation system that can compete with the best in the world,” he said.

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