The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has emphasised the need for a harmonised regional framework for flight crew and flight dispatch skill testing in the East African Community.
Speaking on behalf of UCAA’s Director General Fred Bamwesigye at the opening of the Regional Workshop on flight crew and flight dispatch skill test standards at Skyz Hotel in Naguru, UCAA’s Director Safety, Security and Economic Regulation Eng. Ronny Barongo said, “The workshop is a crucial step towards aligning the region’s practices with global best standards.”
“The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) emphasises the importance of standardised training and assessment for flight crews and dispatchers,” said Eng. Barongo. He noted that, “this workshop is intended to enhance safety and efficiency, improve competency for flight crew and dispatchers, and strengthen regional cooperation and collaboration.”
The workshop is expected to review and contribute to the development of standardised skill test standards for flight crew and dispatchers, share best practices and experiences in assessment methodologies, and discuss and agree on competency-based training requirements.
He highlighted a notable increase in passenger traffic, from 1,932,094 international passengers in 2023 to 2,243,104 in 2024.
“In October 2025, the airport recorded 101,713 departing and 112,452 arriving passengers, totaling 214,165 passengers, with an average of 6,908 passengers per day. This represents a significant increase of 32,568 passengers compared to October 2024.”
Eng. Barongo hailed the framework as a game-changer for the sector. “The regional formulation framework is going to help our pilots and fire dispatchers mainly in the area of improving safety, enhancing efficiency, and also improving collaboration among the partner states,”
Mr Paul Lukanga, the Director Technical at Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA), said the agency is working to harmonise pilot licensing standards across the region. “The goal is to ensure that pilot qualifications issued in one Country are recognised and valid in all eight East African countries.”
“The main objective is that the same pilot qualifications that we issue in Uganda should be applicable in all eight East African countries, so that we have, as a region, better standards and safe skies,” Lukanga said.
The challenge, Lukanga explained, is that while the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) sets minimum requirements, individual countries have their own higher standards. This creates disharmony, making it difficult for pilots licensed in one country to fly in another.
“For example, the minimum age requirement to become a pilot is 16 years, but Uganda sets it at 18 years, while Burundi sets it at 20 years. CASSOA aims to harmonise these standards, ensuring that pilots and flight dispatchers meet the same requirements across the region.”
Captain George Mazige, Vice President of the Uganda Professional Pilots Association, said, “Our wish as pilots is for the harmonisation of these practical test standards across the region,” Mazige said. “We have Ugandans who train across East Africa, and when they come back home, they’re subjected to fresh examinations, which has a cost implication and is cumbersome.”
Mazige explained that harmonising test standards would ensure that the quality of exams in Uganda is the same as in Kenya or Tanzania. “This means students who train in Uganda and Ugandan students who train across the region will be licensed automatically,” he said.
The harmonisation of flight crew and dispatch skills test standards is expected to improve safety and efficiency in the region’s aviation industry, making it easier for pilots and flight dispatchers to operate across East Africa.
The UCAA and CASSOA are working together to ensure that the harmonisation process is successful and that the region’s aviation industry is aligned with global best standards.
The outcome of the workshop is expected to inform the development of a regional framework for flight crew and dispatch skill testing, which will be implemented across the East African Community.