Gulu Airport

Gulu Airport
IATA: ULU – ICAO: HUGU
Summary
Airport type Public, Civilian & Military
Operator Uganda Civil Aviation Authority
Serves Gulu, Uganda
Elevation AMSL 3,510 ft / 1,070 m
Coordinates 02°48′00″N 032°16′30″E / 2.80000°N 32.27500°ECoordinates: 02°48′00″N 032°16′30″E / 2.80000°N 32.27500°E
Map
ULU

Location of airport in Uganda

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
17/35 3,139 10,299 Asphalt

Gulu Airport (IATA: ULU, ICAO: HUGU) is a civilian and military airport in Northern Uganda. It is located 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), by road, northwest of the central business district of the city of Gulu, the largest metropolitan area in Northern Uganda. The coordinates of Gulu Airport are 02°48′36″N 32°16′12″E / 2.81000°N 32.27000°E. This location is approximately 303 kilometres (188 mi), by air, north of Entebbe International Airport, Uganda's largest civilian and military airport.[1]

Gulu Airport serves the city of Gulu, with estimated population of 154,300 in 2011. It is one of the 13 upcountry airports under the administration of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority. It is also one of the five 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.[2]

Eagle Air has regular flights from Entebbe Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Charter flights between Gulu and Moyo Airport, Arua Airport and Pakuba Airport are also occasionally flown.

History

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 Sudanese 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.

Facilities

The airport is situated 3,510 feet (1,070 m) above sea level and has a single paved runway which measures 3,139 metres (10,299 ft) in length.[3]

Gulu Airport terminal buildings

The airport lacks airplane refueling facilities and no customs service is available. However, crash-assistance and fire service (fire truck with 2,000 liters (530 US gal) 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.

Renovations

In 2010, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (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.[4][5]

In January 2014, phased renovation of Gulu Airport was commissioned by the Ugandan Minister of Works and Transport. The first phase involves resurfacing and lengthening the asphalt runway to 3.14 kilometres (10,300 ft), and widening it to 45 metres (148 ft), at a budgeted cost of US$4 million. The complete renovation will cost an estimated US$ 59 million and involves the construction of a larger passenger terminal building, a new car park, access roads and cargo operations facilities. Other planned improvements include the addition of runway lights, infrastructure for fire and rescue services, air navigation and traffic control systems.[6]

Airline and destinations

Airlines offering scheduled passenger service:

Airlines Destinations
Eagle Air Entebbe

See also

References

  1. ↑ Flight Distance Between Entebbe Airport And Gulu Airport With Map
  2. ↑ Gulu Airport Authorized to Handle East African Traffic
  3. ↑ "Aeronautical chart showing HUGU with elevation and runway length". SkyVector. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Gulu Airport To Undergo Modernization
  5. ↑ Plans To Create Gulu International Airport In Advanced Stages
  6. ↑ CAA To Revive Gulu Runway Operations

External links