What air traffic at Entebbe, upcountry says about 2024

Passengers look on during a prior departure security check at Entebbe Airport in Wakiso District on August 20, 2024. PHOTO/EVE MUGANGA
What you need to know:
- Uganda’s aviation industry is now preparing to host the 48th East African Community (EAC) Consultative Facilitation Meeting on Air Transport from 26-28 February 2025.
Entebbe International Airport recorded a total of 2,243,104 international passengers in 2024 compared to 1,932,094 in 2023, the director general of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Mr Fred Bamwesigye, has revealed.
Speaking at a Stakeholders’ Engagement Breakfast in Kampala on Tuesday, Mr Bamwesigye said: “There were
1,117,412 arriving passengers in 2024, reflecting a 17.1 percent growth and 1,125,692 departing passengers, reflecting a 15 percent growth.”
He attributed the growth in passenger traffic to several factors, including “commencement of Uganda Airlines
flights on the Abuja, Lagos, and Mumbai routes, new air operators joining the Ugandan airspace, sustained promotion
of tourism, and resumption of international conferences, such as the NAM andvG77+China Summit,among others”.
Mr Bamwesigye noted that the airport facilitated 1,935 delegates to the NAM/G77+ China Summit.
“Cargo recorded 67,099 metric tonnes in 2024 compared to 59,073 metric tonnes in 2023.Cargo traffic grew as a re-
sult of a stable economic environment and increased international trade,” he said.
In relation to upcountry aerodromes, he reported growth in passenger traffic figures at Arua, Gulu, Pakuba, Soroti and Mbarara, while there was a reduction in traffic at Jinja, Kasese, Kidepo and Moroto.
This was attributed to the renovation of Kisoro Aerodrome,which led to traffic being diverted to Mbarara. Additionally, Pakuba serves as a key tourist destination,and Arua remains a major business hub with significant commercial activity among others.
“A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Uganda and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce was signed
in June 2024, paving the way for the construction of Kidepo International Airport to boost tourism,” he said
He added that Gulu Aerodrome is “planned to be upgraded to a code 4E airport, and this will involve reconstruction of the runway, installation of an Airfield Ground Lighting System (AGL), and construction of a 10,000 square meters passenger terminal building, among others.”
The UCAA director general noted that Uganda is scheduled to host CHAN, which had been scheduled for February but was recently postponed to August 2025.
“The country will also co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Kenya and Tanzania in 2027. Aviation infra-
structure will be key in facilitating these events,” he said.
He, however, cited three major challenges, including inadequate funding for upcountry aerodromes improvements, inadequate land for expansion at Entebbe and other aerodromes, and the government debt, which is increasing.
“Efforts to engage government agencies to have this debt cleared continue to be undertaken with support from the
Ministry of Works and Transport,” he said.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala,who was the guest of honour at the event, congratulated UCAA on the 2024 performance, especially the commendable performance in the security audit conducted
by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“I congratulate the entire aviation industry in Uganda for the 81.6 percent score, an outstanding performance in the Universal Security Audit Programme – Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA). This reinforces the international community's confidence in Uganda's aviation security systems,” he said.
He added: “The USAP-CMA results provide a strong foundation for international airlines operating in and out of Entebbe International Airport to make informed investment decisions. Failing such an international audit would have had significant repercussions for the country's security and reputation.”
The minister noted that in a bid to enhance connectivity, Uganda has 58 Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs)
with various states, which is a positive step towards expanding route options.
“The most recent BASA was signed with Serbia on October 25, 2024 on the side-lines of the Joint Commission for
Trade Cooperation held in Serbia. Earlier on, Uganda signed another BASA with Oman and held discussions with
Latvia at the ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN) in Malaysia in October 2024,”he said.
“BASAs are important for the aviation industry because they enhance connectivity, pave the way for commencement
of flights between states, and provide a mechanism for air transport regulation,”he added.
He noted that Uganda’s aviation industry is now preparing to host the 48th East African Community (EAC) Consultative Facilitation Meeting on Air Transport from 26-28 February 2025, a regional engagement hosted in rotation by EAC states.