MAF Aircraft Hanger Update

There is good and not so good news regarding the hanger project. The good news is that the pre-fabricated hanger has been manufactured and shipped as scheduled. The four containers are currently in Dubai. They are expected to arrive in Kampala mid-August. I have been busy doing leg work with a local engineering consultant to receive approval from the district government for the erection of the new building on the existing property. An environmental impact assessment has also been submitted for review and approval. The airstrip is located next to wetlands. We are not expecting any real issues but we are at the mercy of the local governmental authorities which requires patience and tenacity.

I had hoped to be sharing pictures with you showing physical construction progress of the hanger by now. We had planned to have all of the building ground works, foundations and the anchors set before the arrival of the hanger building. Unfortunately this is not the case. During this time of worldwide economic slowdown and market uncertainty, Uganda is blessed to be in an economic and construction boom that is showing no signs of a slowdown. Unfortunately for us, this time of growth and prosperity has increased supply and demand for materials and labor. Both have negatively impacted the overall project budget, schedule and resource needs. Tenders sent for the civil works portion of the project have come in well over budget. We are experiencing unpredictable price fluctuations on essential raw materials like cement which is one of the largest civil works project costs. More construction projects and employment opportunities have made it that much more costly and difficult to find and secure skilled workers and qualified contractors. Pray for wisdom and unity of the project team as we continue to discuss alternatives to achieve the desired project objectives while remaining within the project budget agreed to the end of last year. This is proving to be very challenging. The need for the new hanger continues to grow as the MAF Uganda program continues to grow.

Blessings,
George