Entebbe Airport on track for record year as passenger and cargo traffic surge

December 17, 2025 in Business, Infrastructure, Transport, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Entebbe International Airport has already surpassed its 2024 passenger and cargo volumes with a month still to go, driven by new routes, infrastructure upgrades and stronger regional connectivity.

Entebbe International Airport is heading for another record-breaking year, with passenger and cargo traffic for the first eleven months of 2025 already exceeding full-year figures for 2024, underscoring Uganda’s growing role as a regional aviation and trade gateway.

Figures released on December 16 by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) Director General Fred Bamwesigye show that Entebbe handled 2,247,145 international passengers between January and November 2025, surpassing the 2,243,104 passengers recorded in the whole of 2024, even before accounting for the traditionally busy December travel period.

Cargo volumes have followed a similar trajectory, with January–November 2025 cargo traffic already matching the total handled in 2024, reflecting stronger international trade flows and a stable macroeconomic environment.

Bamwesigye disclosed the figures during the UCAA 2025 Stakeholders Engagement Breakfast in Kampala, held as part of activities marking Global Aviation Week. He attributed the growth to a combination of expanded airline services, sustained tourism promotion, and the return of large international events.

Among the key drivers has been the expansion of Uganda Airlines, which in 2025 launched  a new routes to London Gatwick, alongside increased activity by other international carriers entering Ugandan airspace. The resumption of major conferences and sporting events, including continental congresses and the hosting of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), also contributed to higher passenger volumes.

Uganda’s international connectivity continues to widen. The country is currently served by 19 international scheduled airlines and has 27 licensed operators, with new licences and renewals issued during the year. In 2025 alone, new routes and services were introduced by Flynas on the Riyadh–Entebbe route, Malawi Airlines between Lilongwe and Entebbe, and Safarilink and Fanjet Express on Nairobi–Entebbe services.

Beyond traffic growth, Bamwesigye outlined progress in air services diplomacy. Uganda participated in the Seventeenth ICAO Air Services Negotiation (ICAN 2025) in the Dominican Republic, where bilateral air service agreements (BASAs) were negotiated or reviewed with six countries. Over the course of the year, Uganda signed new or revised BASAs with Qatar, Ethiopia, Latvia, the Central African Republic, and others, bringing the total number of concluded BASAs to 64 countries.

Infrastructure investment has remained a central pillar of Entebbe’s expansion strategy. A newly completed 20,000-square-metre passenger terminal, scheduled to open in phases from January 2026, will increase airport capacity from two million to at least 3.5 million passengers annually. The terminal adds three aerobridges, bringing the total to five, alongside 24 new check-in counters and 14 self-service kiosks.

UCAA is also upgrading navigation and surveillance systems nationwide to support rising traffic volumes and improve airspace safety. New or upgraded navigation aids have been installed at Entebbe, Hoima, Gulu, Soroti and Kasese, with additional projects planned for Kisoro and Arua. At Entebbe, the current radar system will be upgraded in the 2025/26 financial year, followed by the phased acquisition of a state-of-the-art surveillance system, including ADS-B capability, through to 2029/30.

Upcountry aerodromes have also seen targeted improvements, including runway rehabilitation works at Pakuba and Moroto, security screening upgrades at Arua, and the installation of airfield lighting at Soroti to support night training at the East African Civil Aviation Academy.

Bamwesigye also outlined structural constraints facing the sector, citing inadequate funding for improvements at upcountry aerodromes and limited land availability for expansion at Entebbe International Airport and other facilities. He noted that UCAA’s government debt continues to rise, standing at UGX166.6 billion as of June 2025, with ongoing engagements—supported by the Ministry of Works and Transport—to secure its clearance. Against this backdrop, he argued that aviation must be more firmly mainstreamed at the strategic national level, given its strong linkages to trade, tourism and wider economic activity.

Delivering the keynote address, Kabbs Twijuke, Uganda’s representative to the ICAO Council, emphasized aviation’s role as a strategic enabler of economic development, trade, tourism and national connectivity—particularly for landlocked countries like Uganda. He pointed to the untapped potential of transit traffic, noting that while Uganda’s transit passenger numbers remain modest, global hubs such as Doha demonstrate how well-developed aviation infrastructure can generate significant economic value beyond airline balance sheets.

As Entebbe’s traffic continues to grow, the combination of expanded routes, infrastructure upgrades and regulatory reforms positions the airport as a critical node in East Africa’s aviation and logistics network—one increasingly aligned with Uganda’s broader economic ambitions.