Uganda to upgrade Gulu airport to meet international standards

The government of Uganda is set to upgrade Gulu Airport, a civilian and military airport in the Northern Region of Uganda, to international standards. This was hinted by President Yoweri Museveni during the passing ceremony of pilot cadets and aeronautical graduates at the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) Gulu air force wing.

The upgrade

The government looks to construct a bigger and new cargo terminal building, improving firefighting capacity and establishing floodlights for the runway. The construction will also feature aircraft hangars, control towers, access routes, ground markings, parking areas for both aircraft and vehicles, and water treatment systems, among others.

Installation of key equipment at the facility has already started. President Museveni recently commissioned one of the new radar units at the airport, which is meant to aid landing of planes at night and during extreme weather conditions without human intervention.

“There is another equipment, Instrument Landing System-ILS, which I want to be installed as soon as possible. This will be put up by the Civil Aviation Authority,” said Museveni.

Also Read: Rehabilitation of Nyendo-Bukakkata road in Uganda delayed

Tarmacking of roads around the facility

The head of state further directed the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen David Muhoozi, to have a discussion with the road companies working in Gulu Town to see that the road network around Gulu Airport is tarmacked the soonest.

“I want the CDF to liaise with the companies doing roads here in Gulu to come and tarmac all these internal and feeder roads. Back in the 1960s, this was a very active airbase but it has gone down over the years. We want this facility to regain its status and the roads around should thus be repaired because we do not need all these machines, air force military jets, to get in contact with dust at all,” the head of state noted.