By Nasser Kasozi Akandwanaho
Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has returned from the 2024 ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN), held in Kuala Lumpur, optimistic about expanding Uganda’s international landing rights.
This year’s ICAN event, which ran from October 21 to 25, enabled countries to discuss Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen aviation ties.
Uganda’s delegation, led by UCAA Deputy Director General Olive Birungi Lumonya, finalised new BASAs, reviewed existing ones, and secured MoUs with several nations, including Latvia, marking the first such agreement with the northern European country.
Uganda also got the chance to review its agreements with the United Kingdom (which in July this year granted Uganda Airlines a licence to land at Gatwick Airport) and Qatar, one of its latest destinations, as well as Ethiopia.
The Sudan is the latest country to start BASA negotiations with Uganda. Uganda also held separate bilateral negotiations with India, Botswana, Russia, and Malaysia (with the last two being new), while it signed the BASA with Oman.
This has now brought the total number of countries with BASAs with Uganda to 57, including 26 from Africa
A BASA sets out obligations and methods for cooperation between the authorities to avoid unnecessary duplication of evaluation and to facilitate the certification of aeronautical products by the civil aviation authorities.
Currently, Uganda Airlines flies to 17 destinations in 12 countries.
The Ugandan delegation included officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, and Uganda Airlines.
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