The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has carried out 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 was conducted on Friday, June 26, 2026.
The 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 take off.
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, UCAA Director General, Mr. Fred 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.”
UCAA last conducted a full-scale security exercise on October 26, 2023.
