(Posted 18th April 2024)
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority has yet again extended the closure of the important Kisoro Airfield via another NOTAM which reads:
Starting Monday 15th April 09:40 AM to Wednesday 15th May at 06:00 PM
Kisoro Runway 18/36 Closed.
REF: AIP Uganda AD 2-HUKI-1-3 (30 MAR 17)
ATCNews has covered the closure since December 2023 and, as shown below, provided a further three updates every time the UCAA extended the closure again – and as customary without any further explanation given for the continued and repeated extensions of the closure.
Local tourism operators are fuming about this situation, as flights into Kisoro – Aerolink had in December in fact doubled their scheduled flights to Kisoro – were the only way to cut a day long drive from Kampala to this part of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Gorilla) National Park for locations to track Uganda’s famous mountain gorillas.
The alternative airfields are too distant to serve much of a purpose, as the drive from and to those airfields are quite long and the lodges and safari camps in the Kisoro area are considering client transfers as unviable due to the time involved and the cost.
ATCNews will continue to monitor the situation in Kisoro and report either a further closure, what everyone involved in tourism in this part of Uganda hopes, the reopening of the airfield.
Kisoro aerodrome now expected to remain closed until March 2024
#Kisoro runway continues to be closed – until further notice
