Entebbe Airport expansion on course

CAA Corporate Affairs manager Ignie Igundura at the site where Chinese are building the cargo center

Travelling in and out of Uganda through Entebbe will soon become a more enjoyable experience when current improvements on the airport’s baggage and terminal building facilities are completed, The Sunrise reveals.

The Sunrise was taken on a tour of ongoing construction and refurbishment works at Entebbe which reveal that contractors are on course to put in place a new computerised and faster baggage handling system that will ensure faster transit of passengers while others are working on earth to put in place a new more spacious cargo centre.

According to Ignie Igunduura, the Manager Corporate Affairs of the Civil Aviation Authority, the new baggage handling system being installed will be completed by mid September.

“The new faster baggage handling system will use x-ray monitors to check and isolate any bags that may contain dangerous objects. The use of x-ray monitors will minimize human interference and hence improve security but also reduce queues,” said Igunduura.

Igunduura also expressed hope that the Dutch company Vanderlande that was hired to install the custom made baggage system at US$4.3m, will deliver a good job because of its reputation as being one of the best in the field.

Besides the baggage system, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the Chinese company that is building the Entebbe Express Highway, is undertaking several expansion projects at Entebbe including the construction of a new 100,000 square metre Cargo Centre West of the current terminal building.

CCCC is currently trying to raise the level ground before it embarks on building an airplane taxi road linking the cargo centre to the main terminal building and the runway.

Given Uganda’s position as an agricultural economy, Igunduura said the new cargo centre will be a huge boost for exporters by providing more space. The cargo centre will also provide cooling facilities that will be attractive to exporters of fresh produce.

The ongoing expansion projects are being funded through a US$200million loan that was obtained from the Chinese government.

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