A full-scale aviation security exercise to test the readiness of stakeholders at Entebbe International Airport to respond to a hijack incident involving a commercial aircraft has been sucessfully was conducted . on Friday, June 26, 2026.
The Friday June 26th ,2026 -two-and-a-half-hour exercise, code-named “EX 2026,” commenced at approximately 12:14 pm and simulated a Fenna Airlines (pseudo name) flight carrying 67 persons on board (POB). The scenario assumed that flight FY 506, which was preparing for departure, had been hijacked prior to takeoff.
The exercise further presumed that the POB had been taken hostage after the hijacker gained access to the cockpit, and that Air Traffic Control had been alerted, thereby activating emergency procedures.
The security exercise is a mandatory requirement for international airports of Contracting Member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to test their emergency plans and procedures every two years.
Speaking to the media after the exercise, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority Director General, Mr. Fred K. Bamwesigye, commended the stakeholders who participated, “including joint security agencies, airline operators, ground handling agents, health personnel, and other government agencies, for testing and evaluating their response capability in accordance with the Airport Contingency Plan.”
Bamwesigye said that the Authority remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety and security and appreciates the cooperation of the public and all stakeholders during the emergency exercises.
UCAA last conducted a full-scale security exercise on October 26, 2023. The most recent aviation security audit conducted on Uganda was the Universal Security Audit Programme – Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP – CMA) conducted by ICAO and Uganda scored 81.6%, which was well above the global and regional average.
Industry updates
The DG said that in the month of May 2026 , Entebbe International Airport recorded 94,840 arriving and 96,802 departing international passengers, a total of 191,642 international passengers, averaging 6,182 passengers per day. This compares with 196,378 international passengers in May 2025 (4,736 more than May 2026).
For cargo, the airport handled 1,737 metric tons of imports and 3,198 metric tons of exports, a total of 4,935 metric tons in May 2026 compared with 5,882 metric tons in May 2025.
