Gulu Airport
Encyclopedia
Gulu Airport is a civilian
and military
airport
in Northern Uganda
.
of the city of Gulu
, the largest metropolitan area in Northern Uganda. This location is approximately 303 kilometres (188.3 mi), by air, north of Entebbe International Airport
, Uganda's largest civilian and military airport. The coordinates of Gulu Airport are 02°48′36"N 32°16′12"E. The airport's single paved runway measures 10314 feet (3,143.7 m) in length.
of Gulu
, (estimated population: 154,300 in 2011). The airport lacks airplane refueling facilities and no customs service is available. However, crash-assistance and fire service (fire truck with 2000 liters of water, foam capability and DCP) is at hand between 08:00am – 5:00pm (local time). A small terminal is located next to the airport and taxis service the trip to town. A newly |installed mobile Air Traffic Control Center is available from 08:00am until 5:00pm (local time). ATC may be contacted on 123.7 MHz using HF communications. No navigation aids, runway lights or VHF exists. The weather office in Gulu town is not in use.
The runway was built in 1959 and has never seen any surface servicing since. The tarmac runway is heavily cracked but still suitable for small to medium aircraft. Hopes of upgrading the airport during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
did not materialize. The airport grounds are fenced off completely to minimize animal movements onto the runway
.
Fugro
's Airborne Survey division was contracted by the Government of Uganda to perform airborne geophysical mineral exploration
surveys throughout Uganda between 2006 and 2009. To perform their duties in Northern Uganda, the company is basing two aircraft ( one Reims 406 and a Cessna 208
) out of Gulu with daily low level (80 meters AGL) flights up to the Sudan
ese border.
During the twenty one years of civil war between the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government, the Ugandan Airforce actively based from Gulu. Peace talks started in 2006, and as of 2009 all LRA rebel activity had been removed from Northern Uganda, and thus the Gulu military presence has been reduced to a sizeable ground force with no aircraft, based around the military hangarage on the left of runway 35. It is advisable to stay away from the military section of the airport at all times.
Charter flights between Gulu and Moyo Airport
, Arua Airport
and Pakuba Airport
are also occasionally flown. Eagle Air has regular flights from Entebbe Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Gulu airport is one of the thirteen (13) upcountry airports under the administration of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority
. It is also one of the five (5) upcountry airports which are authorized to handle cross-border air traffic from or destined for neighboring countries, in an effort to promote tourism within Eastern Africa.
(CAA) awarded a contract to Gauff Consultants Limited for consultancy services for the redevelopment of preliminary master plans and detailed engineering designs for Gulu Airport for a price of about UGX:359 million (approx. US$180,000). Gulu will be re-designed into an International Airport.
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
and military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in Northern Uganda
Northern Region, Uganda
Northern Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
.
Location
The airport is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), by road, northwest of the central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of the city of Gulu
Gulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
, the largest metropolitan area in Northern Uganda. This location is approximately 303 kilometres (188.3 mi), by air, north of Entebbe International Airport
Entebbe International Airport
Entebbe International Airport is the principal international airport of Uganda.-Location:It is located near the town of Entebbe, on the shores of Lake Victoria, and about from the capital, Kampala...
, Uganda's largest civilian and military airport. The coordinates of Gulu Airport are 02°48′36"N 32°16′12"E. The airport's single paved runway measures 10314 feet (3,143.7 m) in length.
Overview
Gulu Airport serves the cityCity
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Gulu
Gulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
, (estimated population: 154,300 in 2011). The airport lacks airplane refueling facilities and no customs service is available. However, crash-assistance and fire service (fire truck with 2000 liters of water, foam capability and DCP) is at hand between 08:00am – 5:00pm (local time). A small terminal is located next to the airport and taxis service the trip to town. A newly |installed mobile Air Traffic Control Center is available from 08:00am until 5:00pm (local time). ATC may be contacted on 123.7 MHz using HF communications. No navigation aids, runway lights or VHF exists. The weather office in Gulu town is not in use.
The runway was built in 1959 and has never seen any surface servicing since. The tarmac runway is heavily cracked but still suitable for small to medium aircraft. Hopes of upgrading the airport during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007 was the twentieth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Kampala, Uganda, between 23 November and 25 November 2007, and was hosted by President Yoweri Museveni....
did not materialize. The airport grounds are fenced off completely to minimize animal movements onto the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
.
Fugro
Fugro
Fugro N.V. is a Dutch multinational company headquartered in Leidschendam. The current president is K.S. Wester.Fugro provides geotechnical, survey and geoscience services to oil, gas, mining and construction industries...
's Airborne Survey division was contracted by the Government of Uganda to perform airborne geophysical mineral exploration
Mineral exploration
Mineral exploration is the process of finding ore to mine. Mineral exploration is a much more intensive, organized and professional form of mineral prospecting and, though it frequently uses the services of prospecting, the process of mineral exploration on the whole is much more involved.-Stages...
surveys throughout Uganda between 2006 and 2009. To perform their duties in Northern Uganda, the company is basing two aircraft ( one Reims 406 and a Cessna 208
Cessna 208
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it can seat up to fourteen passengers...
) out of Gulu with daily low level (80 meters AGL) flights up to the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese border.
During the twenty one years of civil war between the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government, the Ugandan Airforce actively based from Gulu. Peace talks started in 2006, and as of 2009 all LRA rebel activity had been removed from Northern Uganda, and thus the Gulu military presence has been reduced to a sizeable ground force with no aircraft, based around the military hangarage on the left of runway 35. It is advisable to stay away from the military section of the airport at all times.
Charter flights between Gulu and Moyo Airport
Moyo Airport
Moyo Airport is an airport in Uganda. It is one of the forty-six airports in the country.-Location:Moyo Airport is located in the town of Moyo, Moyo District, West Nile sub-region, in Northern Uganda, close to the International border with South Sudan...
, Arua Airport
Arua Airport
Arua Airport is a civilian airport in the town of Arua, Uganda. It is one of the forty-six airports in the country.-Location:The airport is located in the town of Arua, Arua District, West Nile Sub-Region, in Northern Uganda, close to the International borders with the Democratic Republic of the...
and Pakuba Airport
Pakuba Airport
Pakuba Airport is an airport serving Pakuba, in Amuru District in northern Uganda. Pakuba Airport has one runway measuring in length. It is a small civilian airport that serves Murchison Falls National Park....
are also occasionally flown. Eagle Air has regular flights from Entebbe Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Gulu airport is one of the thirteen (13) upcountry airports under the administration of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority
Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda
The Civil Aviation Authority was created by an Act of Parliament in 1994 as a state agency of the Ministry of Transport, Housing and Communication...
. It is also one of the five (5) upcountry airports which are authorized to handle cross-border air traffic from or destined for neighboring countries, in an effort to promote tourism within Eastern Africa.
Renovations
In 2010, the Uganda Civil Aviation AuthorityCivil Aviation Authority of Uganda
The Civil Aviation Authority was created by an Act of Parliament in 1994 as a state agency of the Ministry of Transport, Housing and Communication...
(CAA) awarded a contract to Gauff Consultants Limited for consultancy services for the redevelopment of preliminary master plans and detailed engineering designs for Gulu Airport for a price of about UGX:359 million (approx. US$180,000). Gulu will be re-designed into an International Airport.
External links
- Location of Gulu Airport At Google Maps
- Airports in Uganda
- Eagle Air Itinerary for Northern Uganda
- Rebuilding Relationships to End War in Northern Uganda and South Sudan
- Fugro Airborne Surveys Geophysical Exploration
See also
- GuluGuluGulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
- Gulu DistrictGulu DistrictGulu District is a district in Northern Uganda. The district is named after its chief municipal, administrative and commercial center, the town of Gulu.-Location:...
- Uganda People's Defence ForceUganda People's Defence ForceThe Uganda Peoples Defence Force , previously the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates the UPDF has a total strength of 40–45,000, and consists of land forces and an Air Wing.The IISS Military Balance 2007 says there...
- Uganda Civil Aviation AuthorityCivil Aviation Authority of UgandaThe Civil Aviation Authority was created by an Act of Parliament in 1994 as a state agency of the Ministry of Transport, Housing and Communication...
- List of airports in Uganda