Vianney M. Luggya, the Manager of Public Affairs of the Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda, issued a press release following an incident at Entebbe International Airport. Mr Luggya said that the Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda said that efforts were underway to remove the Ethiopian airlines plane from the runway end.
It follows an incident where the aircraft a Boeing 737-800 carrying 139 passengers overshot the runway on landing at 12:41 am disrupting flights. The Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda said that the incident mainly affected inbound international flights.
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The Authority’s Public Affairs Manager. Vianney Luggya. said all the passengers and crew on board disembarked safely from the plane.
Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at Entebbe International airport after the suspension of flights.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Monica Azuba, said the team comprised of technical people immediately started investigating the incident, hoping to come up with a comprehensive report. “Preliminary findings indicate that the plane slightly missed a touchline due to an air pocket, hence skidding off the runway, but the pilot was able to catch up,” noted Hon. Azuba during a press conference held at Entebbe airport on Thursday after the incident.
“When the incident happened, all the 139 passengers and crew onboard disembarked safely and the Civil Aviation Authority immediately issued a notice to airmen temporarily stopping incoming flights from outside the country,” added Minister Azuba.
Dr. David Kakuba, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – Uganda Managing Director, said that aircraft of other operators which were already on the ground before the incident were able to depart. “The incident mainly affected inbound international flights including Turkish Airlines, Kenya Airways, Egypt Air, and Rwanda Air which had incoming morning flights,” remarked Dr. Kakuba.
