Entebbe Airport ready for Re-opening
It has always been a rough experience for the average travelers to go through Entebbe Airport but with the new normal it may even be worse. So you should come well prepared for all the hustles and bustle.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, travelers going through Entebbe were required to arrive three hours before your flight for the necessary security checks.
The closure of Entebbe Airport and other entry/exit points was ordered for by the president of Uganda in March. This was majorly meant to halt the spread and importation of the Covid-19 virus. It was initially a 32 days ban, but was extended after the continuous confirmation of the Corona-virus cases.
As re-opening gets closer, multiple SOPs are expected to be put in place to limit the spread of this deadly virus. Travelers are expected to arrive at least four hours before your flight.
Apart from going through multiple health checks, passengers will be required to maintain social distancing, use sanitizers, wash hands and wear face masks regularly. This is clear, all passengers with symptoms of the novel coronavirus will be blocked from accessing the airport.
Dr Diana Atwine said that all strict measures were designed to resume operation of the airport, reduce the spread of the virus and keep the travelers safe.
All incoming travelers are expected to have a valid Covid-19 certificate issued within 48 hours from where you are coming. Once you arrive at the airport, they will still take your Covid-19 samples for further checks.
We were notified that the airport authorities borrowed several standard operating procedures from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Airports Council International, the Africa Civil Aviation Commission and the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency.
Luggya “the spokesperson of UCCA” told us that all stipulated guidelines will apply once all operations at the airport resumed.
Tents are already erected and these will be used for health screening of incoming passengers and isolation for those with the symptoms of this Virus. Other SOPs include installation of automated sanitizers, marks at the airport to ensure social distancing, deployment of temperature guns, and three ultra-modern scans that detect the temperature at a 30-metre distance.
Aside from that, Glass shields are also put in place to limit contact between passengers. Non-touch faucets are also installed in the airport’s washrooms.
Other facilities to be put in place include the non-touch doors in the passenger access areas and expansion of the pre-boarding lounges.
The works to adapt to the new normal will add to the already undergoing upgrades that include the expansion of the cargo Centre and other renovations.
Entebbe Airport is expected to resume its work very soon after its closure on 22/03/2020. This was intended to prohibit the importation of the Virus from other parts of the World. All passenger flights were stopped and the airport remained welcoming only cargo and UN aircraft.
