Entebbe passenger numbers rise 6pc in first half of 2025, buoyed by MICE, new routes

July 24, 2025 in Business, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Entebbe International Airport handled 1,133,366 international passengers in the first six months of 2025, marking a 6 percent year-on-year increase, underpinned by a resilient tourism sector, growth in MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), and the entry of new airlines.

The figures, released by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), compare favourably with the 1,069,224 international passengers recorded during the same period in 2024.

According to UCAA spokesperson Vianney Luggya Mpungu, the upturn reflects a combination of strong international traffic spurred by high-profile events hosted in early 2025, the continued scale-up of Uganda Airlines, and increased connectivity through new and expanded routes.

“Uganda Airlines launched direct flights to London Gatwick in mid-May, and this, along with the entry of Saudi Arabia’s Flynas on the Entebbe–Riyadh route in January, has been catalytic,” Luggya said. “We’ve also seen Qatar Airways enhance frequency, resuming double-daily operations using B787-800s four times a week.”

Uganda Airlines’ regional routes to Abuja, Harare and Lusaka—launched in 2024—have also gained traction, adding to the positive trend.

Still, passenger flows remained departure-heavy, with 32,488 more outbound than inbound travellers recorded in the first half. That marks a steep climb from a gap of 13,840 in the same period last year. Analysts say the widening divergence may be linked to reductions in donor funding, particularly from the US, that have prompted international NGOs to scale back operations and expatriate staff.

While departures have historically led arrivals, the gap had narrowed last year due to a cooling in demand for migrant labour in the Middle East.

Cargo Grows Modestly, Exports Dominate

Cargo volumes posted a modest 2.5 percent growth, with 33,622 tonnes handled between January and June 2025, compared to 32,794 tonnes over the same period in 2024. Exports continued to dominate at 22,844 tonnes, against 10,778 tonnes of imports. A year earlier, exports stood at 22,380 tonnes while imports came in at 10,414 tonnes.

The airport’s performance is broadly aligned with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) latest outlook, which forecasts an 8 percent increase in passenger demand across Africa in 2025, ahead of a projected 7.3 percent growth in airline seat capacity.

However, IATA cautions that strong demand is colliding with structural limitations.

“The demand is real,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh told reporters during the association’s AGM and World Air Transport Summit in New Delhi last month. “What’s missing is a more enabling environment for airlines — from regulatory reforms to infrastructure investment and financial liquidity.”

Fleet constraints, engine reliability issues, and a global aircraft delivery backlog—now exceeding 17,000 units—have grounded a growing number of aircraft across Africa. With parts shortages and foreign exchange scarcities in economies such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe, the average fleet age on the continent has climbed to 15 years.